About the Art
The following is a transcription of remarks made by the artist, Ken Zeran, during the dedication ceremonies July 15, 2007
It is a great honor, Archbishop, for you to bless this artwork. And it certainly is the nicest review an artist could receive. The New York Times could really use you! Your Grace, a rose tree has been planted in the Holy Family Meditation Garden in your honor- Bishop Castle.
Father Harris, a perfectionist; we appreciate your arrangement of a beautiful day for our ceremony. Three trees have been planted in your honor here in the garden: a Gingko Biloba, Chinese Willow, and a Bonsai Scotch Pine.
Father Otto, when we began this project, I gave you a book entitled The Pope and His Ceiling. It was about the stormy relationship between Pope Julius II and Michelangelo. But, as we all know, that would not be possible with Father Otto. However; Father, I want you to know your name was uttered on more than one occasion in some of the more difficult cuts in the many pieces of glass! The Rose garden is in your honor.
I want to acknowledge Barbara Godbey, who, like the Medici during the Renaissance, came forward as the patron for the art project. And her lovely niece, Jan Burnham, whose husband Monte was the project director. I am standing in front of 80-thousand pounds of concrete in this structure. At this moment Monte is relaxing while fishing up in Canada. To honor his family, could we all send a round of applause that he might hear a thousand miles away. [applause]
People have asked many questions about the facts regarding this monument. The infrastructure we are standing near- Paul Dorn was the architect and he is standing right over here. And, as I mentioned, Monte Burnham was the contractor and the project director. In terms of the art elements- Jim Sinclair of Kaufer Catholic Supply was instrumental in introducing myself to the Orlandi statuary. They are the family chosen by the British Museum in the late Nineteenth century to duplicate statues from the collection of the classical period. The Orlandi family lived outside of Florence then moved to Chicago in the early part of this century. I went there for the development of these statues with Dani Orlandi. They are very unique statues of Our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph. They were sculpted and designed so that they look into the Christ Child and creation. The finish on both statues is Venetian marble.
Now, turning to the medium of the artwork. The frame is made of polished silica bronze and it came out of the mines in Montana. The glass you are looking at is sixty-four square feet of Venetian glass and has been done in the ancient tradition of hand work. Every piece was cut and fired in the furnaces for three days. It is also known as Venetian smalti and was created in Venice, Italy by the Orsini Family. I would like to thank Lynn Moor for her expert assistance throughout the project.
The mosaic gold is 24-karat. Thin leaves of gold are pressed between two pieces of glass and then is bonded through a vitreous process.
The color in the glass itself is totally affected by light. Light has everything to do with this work of art. The multiple colors you see will constantly change. About every twenty minutes, the personality will change, according to the light spectrum and the chromatic temperature in the atmosphere based upon the horizon of the sun. That is why our monument is in this exact position- to face the western sky. It is this direction where the chromatic reaction is greatest, especially later in the day. During the Age of Impressionism, the French artists coined a phrase, 'l'heure bleue',. the latter part of the day, when blue in the spectrum begins to defragment, and the reds take over. Of course, the warmth of the reflection becomes greater. After that transition, and the sun begins to dissipate, the Christ Child will come forward. The colors in the glass will dominate and the golds will go to sleep. So as you live with the piece, you will see it constantly evolve.
As for the message of the artwork. Archbishop, how could you have known what was hidden under the covered artwork? The words you chose about creation and the celebration of life throughout your homily described this perfectly. How could you have known?
Prior to commencing work my study revealed the majority of memorials were similar in presenting Our Blessed Mother in a gated space with a plaque. But, looking at a distance, one did not know what the message was about. So the direction was to make a bold statement. As you can see here- we are certainly not preaching to the choir. This is in a public forum with access to the world.
It is a simple form and as such, presented a real challenge. Leonardo DaVinci was the first artist to depict the human being at this stage of life. In the catacombs in Rome, in the first three centuries, the early Christians created artwork on the walls. They created them from the same perspective- a flat plane (almost Egyptian style). This was my approach.
As you can see the development of the child is accomplished through various strata of colors. As mentioned, the colors here will change- although they are basically apricot. There are lavenders, pinks and fuchsias as well - every color of the human rainbow. Different colors will dominate depending on the time of day and atmospheric conditions. How these colors play with each other was a challenge- I went through twenty-two studies.
Regarding the structure of the glass, as mentioned, every one is individual and every one has multiple fractal reflections. And there are different depths as well. These depths will create shadows. The Greeks used shadows to tell the time of day. The sun was obviously very important and it is here as well.
Now turning to the visual personality of the Christ Child. It has the sweetest expression, you can see it in the eyes. Peaceful innocence can be found in the hand touching the mouth. Creation and energy which Archbishop Brunett spoke about in his homily; you can see at play here. The Chirst Child is protected by a halo surrounded by the universe. The light of creation is coming from the upper left area while the baby is looking into it and smiling.
It is not only a portrait of the Christ Child, it is also a portrait of you- every single one of you - and every one of your relatives and every person you have ever known and every person you have never known. Every person in all of history, and every person to come.
Before I present this gift to the Knights of Columbus and all of you I would like to personally dedicate it to my own beloved family. How appropriate, standing in the Holy Family Meditation Garden- my family is here. I am very blessed that my 88 year old father could be here today. I especially want to dedicate to the artist-in-residence of our family and the person who has shown the way to the light of Christ- my mother. [applause].
So it is a profound honor to present this gift of the joy and beauty of life to all of you and the many generations to follow. To the Knights of Columbus represented by Richard Garzon and Joe Sadler - The Affirmation of Life. [applause]