Icon & Artifact: Works by Paul Roorda

Saturday, February 1st 2014 to Saturday, May 31st 2014

In Icon & Artifact, Paul Roorda used ashes, gold leaf, historical materials, and discarded Bibles to express a neo-liturgical approach to Christian art and ritual. Through his creative process, Roorda gives us works of arresting beauty, imbued with meaning. The seventeen pieces in this exhibition were grouped in three categories: In Slate Requiem, Roorda made use of slate tiles from an old church roof to examine the tension between faith and knowledge, referencing historical icons for a new time; rusty nails and beeswax create meaning in Encaustic Drawings; and, in The End of the Book, Roorda considered devotion and loss through the transformation of damaged and discarded Bibles into new ceremonial vessels, reliquaries, and icons.

CARe caught up with Paul in 2018 and again in 2021 -- be sure to read his reflections and updates on the CARe Package Blog!