paper collage

17 3/4" x 23 3/4"

fall 2007

© Joseph Christian

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This is the fourth part of my series, "12 Keys", devoted to the 12 gates of paradise and the spiritual keys inside everyone which can unlock the way.

The theme of this piece is keeping a quiet mind. I represented this as a giant bell holding back the power of tremendous thunder in the silent, cool morning air high above a serene country village.

One day, out of nowhere I had a clear mental image of a finished picture. I believe that I have faithfully reproduced this idea just as I had seen it in my mind's eye, in all of its detail and richness of color.

The bell in this picture I fabricated from a photograph of a trumpet. The lock and key were made out of photo fragments of a Celtic artifact.

Coincidently, the day after I completed this piece I happened to be watching Alfred Hitchcock's, "Vertigo", for the first time, and couldn't help noticing the resemblence of the bell tower in that movie to my work.

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The materials used in this work were derived from various magazines, perhaps including, but not exclusive to; National Geographic, National Geographic Travel, Architectural Digest, Outside, Smithsonian, In Style, Playboy, Transworld, Reader's Digest, Sailing, Sports Illustrated, Field & Stream, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Skateboarder.

I have altered, rearranged, and used the fragments of photographs and advertisements published in these magazines in a way inconsistent with their original context so that my derivative works do not infringe on any copyright. However, on the off chance that anyone recognizes any photograph fragments I have used in my work let me know so i can credit it properly. Thanks.