Susan Kelly Von Medicus, with an icon of St. Patrick she created for Ireland's Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
The morning is overcast, so available light is hard to come by. The only light in Susan Kelly Von Medicus’s studio comes from a few small table lamps that surround her studio workspace.
Well, maybe not the only light.
Compelling, Byzantine-style paintings of Jesus and the saints are everywhere you look, hanging on walls and lying flat on top of a couple of tables. Many are finished; others are works in progress. Finished or not, they are remarkable for the evident level of detail that goes into their making. Design elements such as saints’ flowing robes, bishops’ mitres, flowers and rolling waves, shine with deeply pigmented color. Precisely circular halos gleam with 22 karate gilding. Each image seems to cast its own heavenly light.
And that’s precisely the point, says Von Medicus, who has created hundreds of these sacred works. The painting of icons draws its inspiration from the stories of Jesus and the events of his time on earth, and from the lives of the saints. Icons are no mere paintings; the act of creation is a form of religious meditation and devotion dating back to the earliest days of the church.
“It’s just an entirely different practice from the Western tradition,” she says. “There are decorative aspects, but it (the painting of icons) is heavily rooted in church canon. Icons are meant to provide a window or a gateway allowing access to a connection point with the divine realm.”
This creative act of faith goes back a long time. Icons are copied from patterns or inspired by other, older graphic depictions. Originality isn’t the point. Neither is ego; in fact, icons are are left unsigned. What counts is a faithful replication of what has come before, following established conventions, says Von Medicus. “It’s like the medieval monks copying the gospels, with no artistic intent—like being a really slow Xerox machine.”
Everything about an icon has meaning. Icons are created on one side of a plain wooden plank. A base of clay is laid upon the wood, and paints overlay the clay base. The paints are mixed from all-natural materials such as marble dust, plant materials, and metals like lead and mercury. And there’s the gold, of course, a final touch overlaying the clay that gives the paintings their distinctive appearance, says Von Medicus. “Gold represents heavenly light. Gold comes from the explosion of supernovas,” Von Medicus points out. “It is indeed light from heaven.”
This symbolic ascension from the earthly to the divine is the hallmark of the tradition. Says Von medicus, “It’s a symbol of the unity of earth and light in the form of the divine Christ.”
For Von Medicus, one of six children of former Philadelphia councilman and Olympic medal winner Jack Kelly, the painstaking creation of icons is perhaps the most obvious manifestation of her lifelong love of art. Parenthood interrupted her artistic pursuits for a time, but circumstances changed when the kids were older. “I heard of an opportunity to study with Vladislav Andrejev (in 1991), founder of the Prosopon School of Iconology. He was in Philadelphia, doing a workshop” she says. “It seemed to combine my interest in art and faith in one endeavor.”
Lately, iconography has re-opened ties between her art and her family’s Irish roots—County Mayo, in particular.
In April 2011, she accompanied her cousin Prince Albert of Monaco on an official visit to Ireland, which included time in Mayo. While there, she struck up a relationship with Mary Gibbons of Newgrange Tours. Gibbons was extremely pleased that a Mayo man, Enda Kenny, had recently became Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister). Gibbons introduced Von Medicus to Kenny, and she commissioned a an icon to honor him.
What resulted is a lovingly crafted portrayal of St. Patrick approaching Croagh Patrick, Mayo’s legendary sacred mountain. Like any good iconographer, Von Medicus looked for prototypes from which to draw inspiration; she found many, and elements of those works have found their way into her rendering. Religious symbols are incorporated into the painting. For example, waves in the background represent Patrick’s arrival from foreign shores. The mountain, she says, signifies Patrick’s spiritual ascension. “I am trying to depict an active Patrick, striding across the land.”
One other significant Irish connection: From January to April 2013, Von Medicus will serve as artist in residency at the Burren School of Art on Ireland’s rugged West coast.
Even though she now teaches iconography herself and her work is displayed internationally and treasured by collectors, she still takes instruction from Andrejev. And she continues to find inspiration in her work. “It’s a wonderful way of learning complex theological stuff when you work it out on an icon.”
If you want to learn more about iconography—learn by doing, that is—Von Medicus is hosting workshops at St. Thomas Church, Whitemarsh. Workshop dates are Sundays, February 12, 19, 26 and March 4, 11, 18, 2012. To learn more, call the church at 215-233-3970.
Visit Von Medicus’s website at http://www.susanvonmedicus.com
