Liminal Spaces

StolenSpace are pleased to present ‘Liminal Spaces’, a solo exhibit by John Wentz, an exploration of repurposed symbolism to explore emotions in transitional states.

‘Liminal Spaces’ is an exploration of transitional states and emotional displacement influenced by Western Religious iconography and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Sometimes defined as: ‘the time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next’, a liminal space is ‘a place of transition, a season of waiting, and not knowing.’ In the seven paintings presented, religious iconography
and symbolism are referenced, and in a sense, re-purposed to explore the emotional states often experienced in these transitional spaces. Colours are saturated but carefully chosen and used minimally as described in the Bardo state. Context is removed and is mostly, replaced by a dark void of blacks and greys to contain the figure in a somewhat dreamlike environment.

In the seven artworks on display at ‘Liminal Spaces’, the substrate works to reflect the viewers’ ephemeral nature, by utilising degradable materials such as paper and cardboard. The use of garlands seen in Wentz’s work is a reference to the inclusion of specific flowers, often found throughout many cultures with regards to ceremonies and rituals dealing with states of transition.

“I was living in Paris, France during the Covid lockdowns and at the same time, I experienced the loss of someone very dear to me. During the days not much was open other than grocery stores and the churches. Therefore, I spent an ample amount of time sitting in century-old cathedrals and studying the many artworks within. As the days went by, I began to feel the
transcendent nature of these religious works and the feeling of awe they can inspire. They are meditations where one can instigate and experience change both psychologically and emotionally. Similarly, The Tibetan Book of the Dead acts as a literal guidebook to the ‘afterlife’, often describing this transition as an experience of colour. In Buddhist traditions, this liminal state
is known as ‘The Bardo’.” - John Wentz, 2021.