Ph.D THESIS by ANNA BIELA
IDENTITY IN THE FACE OF ONENESS
ONENESS
The idea of Oneness is the key for the comprehension of my research and artistic pursuit into the subject of identity. Plotinus, a philosopher and aesthetician, assumed that all originates in a single source, which is in the process of constant transformation and emanates successive stages of beings. In the spirit of Plotinus’ thought, „Identity in the face of Oneness” has a beautiful shape, as it assumes form through ideas, accessible to human beings via super-sensory identity. He understood the beauty we know, the beauty of shapes and hues, as a reflection of another, more perfect beauty. (...) Beauty is precisely an emanation of the super-sensory world in the sensory one. It is the property of the sensory world, its most perfect if not the only perfect property, as it is the only one related to the perfect world. Therefore aesthetics, reflecting on the beauty of “this” world, took pride of place in Plotinus’ transcendental system, although the system focused on “the other” world. (1)
Human identity is the beauty of “this” world. Every person is different and therefore beautiful. Oneness split by the Prism (2), of human consciousness emanates a sensual identity in the face of the super-sensory one.
The examination of “Identity in the face of Oneness” stems from a logical necessity and is the fruit of an intuitive creative process. We know that opposites attract. The same applies to studies of identity. Analysis of sensual identity in my earlier works drew my attention to analyses of super-sensory identity; both these identities guarantee the balance of a personal identity. There is a theory of a dance of geometry put forth by the UK quantum physicist Stephen Hawking. According to this theory, this dance contributed to the creation of the universe, the realm of elementary particles, where matter clashes with anti-matter. Every matter particle has a non-matter particle. When a particle clashes with an antiparticle, both disappear and only energy is left. (3) There is only Oneness. To my mind, identity has its source in Oneness. Analysis of super-sensory identity in the sensory world makes us pursue Oneness, return to the source and discover harmony.
IDENTITY
Human identity is not obvious as it is a continuous process from birth to death. It therefore becomes a task, a challenge, a choice, and a construct. In painting, I make references to my own identity. I look at its multiple faces. I am inspired by motifs associated with personal identification since they accompany and shape an objective picture in everyday life. The adventure with identification was a way for me to discover the right direction and form. My reflections led me to monotypes of a narrow colour palette. In my works, I make references to self-portraits, fingerprints and data from identity documents. I refer not so much to a single identity, but rather to identities and the plural form reflects the fact that contemporary human have many identities. Under these circumstances, artistic and scholarly reflection regarding identity has become a unique challenge.
IDENTITY IN THE FACE OF ONENESS
Sensory identity, tangible and visible, the one that everyday reality accustoms us to, in the spirit of Neoplatonism is an analysis of matter only, which does not reflect the entire spectrum of vision. I have therefore decided to continue exploration to extend the pursuit by artistic solutions which are an analysis of super-sensory identity. Oneness has a metaphysical structure and identity in the face of it is beautiful. Subject to super-sensory evolution, it assumes a sensory form, which is harmonious as it stems from a spiritual urge. All things beautiful stem from an inner urge. This urge gave rise to an external shape, a space for the process of discovering the innermost identity. Experience, reflection, external factors as well as inner considerations make up a single whole, which I expressed through the sequence 10N3 (one).
10N3
The pursuit of my identity oscillates around the idea of Oneness and is subjective. The series titled 10N3 (one) continues my earlier studies and artistic pursuits related to the question of identity. I painted four modular paintings and the composition of each of them consists of ten square elements, which all together compose a single picture. The modular arrangement is a metaphor of Oneness and its emanation. The square is symbolic of the earth, space and the four directions of the world. In painting, I am inspired by the scan of my head, an MRI that shows its inside. The scan of the head was made on three planes. I chose the inside of my head as the principal message of my studies and artistic pursuits, since the image of the inside of the head is a metaphor of my subjective identity. The firsts three paintings are mono-prints. I made use of the images of the inside of the head and acrylics with a narrow colour palette. I limited the colours to monochromes for the sake of thinking and acting via the metaphor of black, white and grey as the most evident visual symbol, a concept of the emanation of Oneness.
PROCESS
In the first modular painting titled “Process”, apart from the principal message, the common denominator of the entire series, in the foreground there are twenty self-portraits, spaced in two rows visible in profile. The form of the self-portraits is a reference to the skull, a symbol of the shortness of life, of death and a metaphor of the process which takes place throughout our lives and determines our changing identity.
MASKS
In the second modular painting titled “Masks”, the foreground consists of three self-portraits. The form of the self-portraits is a reference to masks, a metaphor of the identity of the contemporary human being. The background features circles and spirals. The circle symbolises infinity, the absolute, eternity, perfection, inner oneness, harmony, equilibrium, completeness, and the spiritual element. The spiral is a metaphor of a path of one’s life, which leads the human being from the outside towards the inside. The spiral is symbolic of evolution, development and transformation; it’s symbolism is analogous to that of the labyrinth, i.e. a journey that the human being must take in order to understand oneself.
TRANSFORMATION
In the third modular painting, “Transformation”, there are two overlapping projections of the head visible from above and one in profile. The overlapping form is a metaphor of the process of discovery, transformation, metamorphosis, evolution of perception and consciousness, for realising and comprehending in oneself an extra-sensory identity and inner beauty.
BEAUTY
In the last modular painting titled “Beauty”, I give up black and white acrylic paint for the sake of watercolours with a wide colour range. The self-portrait depicts one projection from above. The wide colour range is a metaphor of inner beauty and “Identity in the face of Oneness”. An objective analysis of identity spawned my subjective search, which led me to finding balance.
QUOTES
1/W. Tatarkiewicz, History of Aesthetics, Vol. 1, Warsaw 2009, pg. 356.
2/A.K. Biela, PRISM. New Era in Graphics, Wroclaw 2007 (idea from Master of Fine Arts Thesis)
3/S.W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time, translation P. Amsterdamski, Poznan 1996, pg. 73. 5
ART WORK
1/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 140X350 CM / 2012
2/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 140X350 CM / 2012
3/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 140X350 CM / 2012
4/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY I-X / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 140X350 CM / 2013
IDENTITY
Human identity is not obvious as it is a continuous process from birth to death. It therefore becomes a task, a challenge, a choice, and a construct. In painting, I make references to my own identity. I look at its multiple faces. I am inspired by motifs associated with personal identification since they accompany and shape an objective picture in everyday life. The adventure with identification was a way for me to discover the right direction and form. My reflections led me to monotypes of a narrow colour palette. In my works, I make references to self-portraits, fingerprints and data from identity documents. I refer not so much to a single identity, but rather to identities and the plural form reflects the fact that contemporary human have many identities. Under these circumstances, artistic and scholarly reflection regarding identity has become a unique challenge.
READ MORE
ART WORK
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (I)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (II)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (III)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (IV)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (V)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (VI)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (VII)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (VIII)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (IX)
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / SELF PORTRAITS I-X / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 50X40 CM / 2011 (X)
Ph.D THESIS by ANNA BIELA
PROCESS
In the first modular painting titled “Process”, apart from the principal message, the common denominator of the entire series, in the foreground there are twenty self-portraits, spaced in two rows visible in profile. The form of the self-portraits is a reference to the skull, a symbol of the shortness of life, of death and a metaphor of the process which takes place throughout our lives and determines our changing identity.
READ MORE
ART WORK
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 140X350 CM / 2012
I/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
II/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
III/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
IV/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
V/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VI/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VII/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VIII/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
IX/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
X/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / PROCESS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
MASKS
In the second modular painting titled “Masks”, the foreground consists of three self-portraits. The form of the self-portraits is a reference to masks, a metaphor of the identity of the contemporary human being. The background features circles and spirals. The circle symbolises infinity, the absolute, eternity, perfection, inner oneness, harmony, equilibrium, completeness, and the spiritual element. The spiral is a metaphor of a path of one’s life, which leads the human being from the outside towards the inside. The spiral is symbolic of evolution, development and transformation; it’s symbolism is analogous to that of the labyrinth, i.e. a journey that the human being must take in order to understand oneself.
READ MORE
ART WORK
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 140X350 CM / 2012
I/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
II/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
III/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
IV/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
V/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VI/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VII/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VIII/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
IX/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
X/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / MASKS DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
TRANSFORMATION
In the third modular painting, “Transformation”, there are two overlapping projections of the head visible from above and one in profile. The overlapping form is a metaphor of the process of discovery, transformation, metamorphosis, evolution of perception and consciousness, for realising and comprehending in oneself an extra-sensory identity and inner beauty.
READ MORE
ART WORK
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 140X350 CM / 2012
I/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
II/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
III/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
IV/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
V/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VI/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VII/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
VIII/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
IX/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
X/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / TRANSFORMATION DETAIL / ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2012
BEAUTY
In the last modular painting titled “Beauty”, I give up black and white acrylic paint for the sake of watercolours with a wide colour range. The self-portrait depicts one projection from above. The wide colour range is a metaphor of inner beauty and “Identity in the face of Oneness”. An objective analysis of identity spawned my subjective search, which led me to finding balance.
READ MORE
ART WORK
ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 140X350 CM / 2013
I/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
II/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
III/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
IV/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
V/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
VI/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
VII/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
VIII/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
IX/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
X/ANNA BIELA 10N3 / BEAUTY / WATERCOLOUR ON CANVAS 70X70 CM / 2013
EXHIBITOIN
ANNA BIELA
10N3
MARCH 12-24, 2019
022 GALLERY
MAZOWIECKA 10
WARSAW
VIDEO
EON VISUAL by KRZYSZTOF SIWECKI
EXHIBITION
10 SENSE
ANNA BIELA
12.10-07.11/2018
MUSEUM GORLICE
POLAND
https://muzeum.gorlice.pl/component/ohanah/anna-biela-malarstwo