About Icons
An icon is not just a religious image. It is capable of having a sacramental quality; connecting the world of reality with the world beyond. An icon offers us a window into eternity.
When looking at an icon, we look through the surface image to the spiritual reality beyond and within and through the surface. An image of Christ is only an image, until our spirituality connects with that of the iconographer, and with Christ himself. This completes a circle, and Christ himself is then present.
Anyone for whom the spiritual reality of the next world remains a mystery, will be able to see the image, but will not yet see beyond it. But for those who understand what an icon is capable of being, it can become far more than an image.
My icons are painted as sacraments. They are created with prayer, with respect and with love. They are not just pictures; they are a visual representation of my own spirituality. This is why you will not find images which I find personally meaningless or inaccessible, or saints whose lives or provenance I am unable to identify with. In other words, these are not just any old images; they are mine. If there is anything distinctive at all about my work, I hope it is that I paint saints who are human, and who are capable of doubt. Without doubt our faith is meaningless.
What makes an icon different from a religious picture?
If you are not sure whether you are looking at an icon or not, then these are some of the main indicators
An icon is written, not painted. The name of the person depicted must be shown alongside the image
Christ is always shown with cruciform halo, with symbols denoting his full title; He who was, who is and is to come
Our Lady is always shown with three stars on her robe, to indicate her perpetual virginity
In a Catholic image, Our Lady will generally wear white and blue. In an icon she will usually wear blue and red.
An icon will never include profile faces; all faces of saints will be facing or half profile; (satan or Judas may be depicted in profile)
An icon may contain elongated dimensions; heads are often 1:10 body length, rather than the more realistic 1:7
More important characters may be larger, less important characters may be smaller
An icon may depict more than one moment in time at once, to tell a story
Icons use highly stylised representations of people, to make them immediately recognisable
Icons use colour in a very symbolic way
Saints as children are depicted as miniature adults, to indicate spiritual maturity
Buildings, rocks etc are often used metaphorically, to denote spiritual space rather than real space
Veneration of icons
The icon is never itself venerated. What is venerated is the spiritual reality with which we are able to connect, through contemplation of the icon. As already described, an image of Christ has the potential to connect us with the reality of Christ himself, and it is at the point when such a connection happens, that Christ is himself venerated.
The icon is a sacrament of Christ himself, present with us. It is not Christ, nor is it intended as a photographic representation. It is only through the image that Christ can himself be found, not on the surface.
In linguistic terms, written words on a page are themselves meaningless. In themselves, they are random, symbolic and arbitrary. If we cannot see this of our own language, we can certainly see it of an unfamiliar one. That which is written has no meaning unless it can connect with a level of meaning within us. At the point of connection symbol and meaning come together to make meaningful language. But the words on the page do not contain the meaning; we do. Similarly, these blobs of paint on canvas have no meaning, unless the meaning is found within you, the person looking.
Symbolism
Iconography is highly symbolic. The proportions of the figures, the colours, the clothing; all tell us something of the hidden or spiritual meaning contained within the image. We can learn to read the language contained within, or we can appreciate the surface image for what it is.
The background to an icon is often gold (sometimes silver), to denote eternity. The gold tells us that what we are looking at is not a literal representation, but a looking towards that which cannot easily be seen; through the veil and towards eternity.
The figures almost always look directly towards us, bringing us into communion with them. Faces of saints in an icon are never seen in profile. The icon invites us to participate in its reality, rather than being an onlooker. Supposedly this is also why any perspective in an icon is reversed; bringing the image into our space rather than receding into the distance. Maybe. Or maybe they predate the full understanding of perspective. Either way, the perspective, the colours, the elongated figures; all tell us we are not looking at reality, but symbol.
Connection
One of the greatest mysteries of our life, which many people do not even realise is happening, is our ability to connect emotionally with one another. To feel someone else's joy, pain or grief as intensely as they do; to cry with them, laugh with them, hold them in their pain.
This empathic connection is one of God's greatest gifts to us. It is at the point of disconnection from the other that abuse always happens. And it is at the point of emotional connection that our most intimate, most meaningful, most healing experiences occur; when both become part of God's love. I have found this from experience, having had complex post traumatic stress disorder for several years. Trauma disconnects; love reconnects.
If we are, for whatever reason, unable to grieve with those who are bereft, unable to feel compassion for those who suffer, unable to realise that in hurting those around us we also hurt our own souls, it is we who are to be pitied; it is we who have become something less than human. Give away everything you have, become homeless and unemployed, rather than give away your soul; your ability to empathise with your brothers and sisters.
Our connection with God is one of the most important connections, but this connection is not complete until it reminds us in turn that we can also find an icon of God himself in any human being on earth, any child, any elderly person, any refugee from danger; anyone. Iconography is a reflection of the work which God himself began; Christ is the icon of the living God. And each human being on the face of the earth, whatever their faith, whatever their race, is the icon of Christ.
In serving our brothers and sisters, we serve Christ himself. Anything else - any other theology - is just so much chaff blown in the wind.
