Catacombs Series

My Catacombs series is not yet finished. So far, I have made 20 pieces and I still have sketches for more. Every time I think I’m done, I see something, a building perhaps, and that leads me to other permutations of arranged arches.

Many archeological sites have been obliterated as a result of war or the flooding of sensitive areas  caused by the building of hydroelectric dams in the constant search to fill the world's need for energy. Civilizations of the past intertwined their culture and religion, the unexplainable was made  to be supernatural.

The arch is a symbol from antiquity that I use in my work to depict this integration of historical icon in modern contexts. The result is art that is archeological in nature, mysterious in design and reverent in interpretation with the illusion of a patina of age.

When I read about the destruction of yet another archeological site, such as the sensitive digs and ruins at Babylon, I feel compelled to make another piece in the series. Considering the state of the world, this series may never be completed.

Click on the thumbnails for a larger image

Catacombs I: Pristine
31h x 53w
SOLDCatacombs IV: Patina
30h x 53w
SOLDCatacombs VI: Rust
36h x 28w
SOLDCatacombs VII: Fresco
30.5h x 28.5w
SOLDCatacombs VIII: Persecution
33.5h x 17.5w
SOLDCatacombs IX: Sapphire
14h x 26w
SOLDCatacombs XIII : After Klee
37h x 44wCatacombs XV : Terracotta 
36h x 45w
SOLDCatacombs XVI :Copper
46h x 36w
SOLDCatacombs XVII :Babylon
37h x 68wCatacombs XVIII :Verdigris
37h x 45wCatacombs XIX :Paris
40h x 76wCatacombs XX
84h x 60w
SOLDCatacombs XXI :Roma
36h x 44w
SOLDCatacombs XXII :Casperia
36h x 45w
Joanie Gagnon San Chirico