The artist Marlies Ihmels-Herget, known for her highly refined oil paintings, in traditional as well
as contemporary styles, has created a new body of work, which celebrates earthly object as
heavenly bodies. These paintings are a celebration of the most desirable growing stage of a
plant, namely the phase of the ripened fruit.
Fruits hold a special meaning for humans and animals not only for their nourishing qualities; they
carry meaning in many other aspects of life as well. Thinking about the apple, symbolizing the fall
from grace, is an example most people can relate to easily. In this body of work, the painter
renders fruit under a different light and thereby asks the viewer to connect with this profane object
of earthly existence to experience the transcending quality of the sublime. Environmental
boundaries so much a part of daily life, evaporate in these paintings. As the qualities of
abundance express through texture, form, color and light, all our senses become engaged in the
ever-renewing cycle of nature and its diverse manifestations of sustenance and continuation.
All objects in these paintings, fruit, berries and seeds are devoid of the gravitational force of earth,
as they float in colorful atmospheric spaces, thus elevating these earthly objects into a different
dimension. Their importance takes on a new meaning as they pose as celestial entities, forming
new solar systems and stellar compositions. Engaged in the dance of life, they take their place in
endless variations of form and color.
The fruit stands for the end and the beginning of the cycle of growth; it is the alpha and omega.
These fruits embody sustenance and the many seeds contained within these fruits signify rebirth.
They are pointing to the future, as they alone will assure the continuation of life. A seed stands as
a symbol for life and the abundance of possibilities not yet developed.
This otherworldly quality uplifts these objects to an almost heavenly position, thereby reaching a
celebratory stage of worship about the wonder of life and its meaning with a quest for hope.
These paintings speak of the subtle forces of nature and serves as
a channel for conscious awareness. This body of artwork gives the viewer the opportunity to
celebrate this most prized gift and uplifts its worldly qualities to the sublime, thus giving due
reverence to nature and the forces of life.
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