The Wedding at Cana, a Quartet:
Monoprints, All 18 x 14 in.
They Have No Wine
Do Whatever He Tells You
Fill the Jars with Water
You have Kept the Best Wine Till Now
Artist's Statement
The writers of the Gospels (and of all scripture for that matter) were literary geniuses in addition to being spiritually inspired. They were able to tell their stories and get the message across to the reader with the most wondrous use of imagery and economy of language.
In the Gospel of John the writer uses twelve verses to relate Christ's first public sign of his divinity--the changing of water into wine. The story contains images that are full of drama, subtle gestures, humor, mystery, symbolism and strength of character.
From this story I have chosen to depict four scenes that are built upon the words spoken in the Gospel. I have used a warm dark brown ink to accentuate the mystery and spiritual drama. I have tried to interpret gestures and expressions by capitalizing on the fluid and painterly effects of the monotype medium. The story is full of symbolism, but I have emphasized a lyrical and mystical response to it.
Arthur Cislo was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1945. He received a B.F.A. in drawing and sculpture from Wayne State University in 1967 and an M.S. in Business Administration from St. Francis College in 1976.
In 1971 he began work in Fort Wayne as an Industrial Designer (clay modeler) for International Harvester (now called Navistar International). Currently he is the Service Publications Coordinator for Navistar.
Mr. Cislo specializes in woodcut and monotype media. His works have appeared in more than fifty exhibits since 1973, including the Tri Kappa Regional Artists Exhibits at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art; Members Shows, National Print Competitions, and other exhibits at Artlink; the Michigan Gallery, the Allen County Public Library, the Ann Arbor Art Fair, the Wassenberg Art Center in Van Wert, the Mid States Exhibition at the Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, the Krannert Gallery at the University of Evansville, and the Indianapolis Art League.
He has served as a member of the Artists Panel at Artlink and curator
of their National Print Competition, and he received a Master Fellowship
Grant from Arts United in 1989.
From BOOKS, LIBRARIES, AND READING: INTERPRETATIONS BY ARTISTS OF ALLEN COUNTY
An Exhibit at The Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana from April 1 through May 30, 1995.