MIAMI.- The intervention of nature that carries out Ana Marianiwith the interspersed use of branches and strong wood that form irregular structures of original harmony, covered with colored fabrics that illuminate them or illustrate them with abstract shapes, erase the limits between painting and sculpture, radiating an unusual expressive intensity, causing an enchantment for the observer.
The illumination or illustration of the wood is an intermediation with the spiritual and symbolic essence of the trees. The act of weaving on these revives the ancestral rituals with which creation is represented, since, according to ancient beliefs, the nature that welcomes and protects living beings and the universe with all its constellations and planets, are interwoven into the same warp. We are in the presence of a syncretic proposition, fueled by a charge of ancestral spirituality and the abstract proposal of the artist.
The illuminated timbers, by Ana Mariani, are wooden sculptures covered with fibers, textiles and interweaves that show an abstract framework, creating an atmosphere of harmony and beauty, they are unique and unrepeatable pieces, their imagery evokes presences and energies coming from the natural world. To paraphrase John Berger: “The more imaginative the work, the further we can go in our understanding of the artist’s visible experience.”1 The association between light and divinity has always existed. Ana Mariani’s Illuminated Woods evoke for me the same intention of the illustrated manuscripts or illuminated manuscripts that made their appearance in 5th century Europe. The adjective illuminated derives from the Latin verb illuminare which means to give light or to illustrate with bright colors.
According to George Steiner, “Languages are windows that allow us to enter reality in a unique way.”2 In this sense, Ana Mariani has opened a window to nature and has developed a unique language. Art is not a capricious or accidental expression, on the contrary, it is what the artist makes public what he has discovered and perceived about reality. Ana Mariani listens to nature and it becomes the raw material for her works.
The Pine tree, whose essence is nobility and aroma, since the evergreen conifers are an embodiment of the inexhaustible and eternal principles of life. The branches of Poplar (Aspen), which in many cultures throughout history have attributed healing and mystical properties. Another of the woods that Mariani uses is the Birch tree, which since ancient times has been considered a sacred tree that for the Celts symbolized the Sun and the Moon.
If we delve into its spiritual meaning, the tree shows us a connection between the Earth (roots) and the sky (branches). There are various myths that talk about the tree of life and its link between the human and the divine. The tree is considered the embodiment of the vital principle because through its cycle in the seasons of the year, it represents regeneration, its periodic renewal allows us to perceive the sacred energy of the living. The branches detached from the trees represent the mystery of the periodic regeneration of nature, the basis of the religious importance of spring in all cultures. It is these branches that Mariani illuminates again, weaving abstract designs of intense colors into their contours.
From her workshop in Winter Park, Florida, she tells me about her creative process: “I don’t work on my work, I caress my work as an emotional need. Once I define the shape and arrangement of the wood, I let them speak to me and activate my imagination, so, a thread of color invites another of a different color and texture, they come naturally to me, they are not thought, it is my intuition and my hands that work with the same strength and intensity of nature while I cover them with goat wool; Mohair yarn from the Angora goat, one of the oldest textile fibers, produced exclusively in Turkey, I also use those from the Tibetan goat; alpaca wool, virgin merino sheep wool, cotton, yarns of the rayon family (man-made). Camel hair, llama hair, qiviut or Alaskan musk ox wool fiber and fabric, and finally some man-made fibers, such as cotton thread, sari silk yarn, among others. I connect in such a way to the work in progress, that each layer of fabrics tells a part of the story that I wish to convey. I consider myself lucky to be able to express stories through the use of my hands in creating pieces of art. What defines me as an artist is that each of my pieces are unique.”
Plots, textures, textures, that is, the way in which the parts of a whole are arranged and perceived by sight and touch, configuring abstract visions of the artist’s imagination, are revealed in her fabrics and in each of the sets of each work. Ana Mariani interweaves her life with nature and with us by giving us her works.
In the tower of Babel of contemporary art, a new artistic trend has begun that is not limited to capturing and representing nature as in past times, but turns it into its own work, as a way of restoring harmony between the person, the spiritual world and the physical world. This art that brings us closer to the life of trees leads us to reflect on the relationship of the individual with the world, on the inseparability of the individual and the environment. The idea that nourishes this artistic expression allows us to reconnect with nature and re-enchant our world. “Trees are sanctuaries,” wrote the German writer Herman Hesse, “whoever knows how to talk to them, learns the truth. When we have learned to listen to the trees, we will feel at home.” Nature has a lot of fascinating objects.
Revelations about nature-inspired art or Soft Fascination are supported by Attention Restoration Theory (ART),3 developed by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in the 1980s, which states that people can Focus better after spending time in nature or even watching nature scenes. Nature is a source of harmony and energy.
About enchantment and the awakening of wonder in this anxious time we live in, Katherin May writes: “Our sense of enchantment is not triggered only by great things. The sublime is not hidden in distant landscapes. The overwhelming, the numinous, is around us, all the time.”4 Mariani’s Illuminated Woods invite the observer to accompany her on a journey that fosters a reconnection with our environment in a combination of art, sensitivity and empathy with nature. .
In his essay on the creative process, James Baldwin describes the attitude of the artist in societies: “Society accepts some things as real, but the visible reality hides other deeper things and it is the artist who reveals them.”5 That is the case. of Ana Mariani and her illuminated wood. Ana Mariani (1965), resides and works in her workshop in Winter Park, Florida. Her works are exhibited in prestigious galleries in the United States and Spain.
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