Stuck in High School

Junior

In an attempt to merge Christ into my work in high school, I developed some interesting and potentially blasphemous works.

Initially intrigued by a phenomenon in nature where cracks in the ground, lightening, and even galaxies form branches bursting outward, known simply as fractals, I saw this as a way God put a little visible signature on everything created. In the Italian Renaissance, artists portrayed the heavenly realms as perfect and geometric. I tend to swing toward Gaudi's observation that nothing in nature, save the horizon, is a straight line, thus my renderings were fully organic tree forms. They emitted their own light, as they can only be seen by way of themselves. These (here's the blasphemy) usually represented either the Trinity or one Person of the Deity in a surrealistic composition.

These, after being urged to "push it more", became more three- dimensional and abstracted as time went on.

Senior

Eventually the branches began to fade away and, with some influence from urban graffiti, give rise to the conclusive work of my years in high school. Far more expressive, these "carpentry paintings" settled on usually one concept or emotion I was feeling about God at that time. It had, along with my growth as a believer, branched out from stating stale information to becoming more vibrant and feeling. I felt the love of the Lord, and it showed in my work.

Visit http://forthdistrict.com/peoples-district-ben-hancock/ for more detailed information behind the later concepts.