Josh Tiessen
Refracting Infinity
Oil on panel
36 x 24 x 2 inches
Signed
$19,800.00
To purchase or get more info call us at 1-212-355-5710
Josh Tiessen
Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc., New York City
“Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” [i]. The philosophical musings of Qohelet, an ancient teacher in the Jewish wisdom tradition, warn that the pursuit of knowledge, wealth, and all pleasures under the sun is nothing more than a vapour. The figure in my painting, whose silhouette is reflected in the window, represents Qohelet. He is a disenchanted wanderer in a world of smoke and mirrors, pondering the question “What is the cure to the banality of existence?”
Similarly, the French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal described the predicament of being caught in the despair of human existence: “On all sides I behold nothing but infinity, in which I am a mere atom, a mere passing shadow that returns no more” [ii].
Although I have a limited grasp of complex scientific theories, I find it intriguing to visually incorporate scientific concepts. I have depicted the idea of string theory (that at the subatomic level all of life is interconnected through vibrating strings of energy) by the criss-crossing yarn inside the window, which two Indigo Buntings are weaving into a nest. For me, sketching and painting are much like mind-mapping, a non-linear approach of connecting the dots between seemingly disparate reference points, as utilized by John Nash in A Beautiful Mind.
I have always been fascinated by the ‘golden ratio’ spirals of sunflower florets. The Fibonacci sequence of spiral growth is a cosmic constant, from the nautilus to galaxies [iii]. Here, I was inspired by van Gogh’s whimsical sunflowers. Despite his life of sorrow he saw glimpses of the Divine through nature, and this resonates deeply with me.
While some deem life as absurd and having no objective meaning, I am not satisfied with that answer. I prefer to press into the mystery, the artistic design in science evoking in me both wonder and desire for a world re-enchanted [iv].
[i] Ecclesiastes 1:2
[ii] Pascal, Pensées
[iii] Boeyens & Thackery, South African Journal of Science
[iv] Articulated by Charles Taylor in A Secular Age
BIOGRAPHY - Josh Tiessen Born in 1995 in Moscow, Russia, Josh Tiessen is an international award-winning artist based near Toronto, Canada. Tiessen is best known for his hyper-surreal shaped oil paintings, which take up to 1700 hours to complete, and reflect the interaction between the natural world and human-made structures, drawing upon his studies in philosophy and theology.
As a young artist Tiessen was designated one of the world's top ten prodigy artists by Huffington Post, and the only known male art prodigy in North America by Dr. J. Ruthsatz, global prodigy expert. As a teenager he was juried in as the youngest member of International Guild of Realism among foremost realist artists from around the world, Artists for Conservation and Society of Animal Artists, elite groups of the top nature and wildlife artists worldwide. Art Renewal Center designated him Associate Living Master, and New York based gallery Jonathan LeVine Projects awarded him First Place from 2000 artists in their international competition Search for the Next Great Artist. LeVine presented the emerging artist’s debut international solo exhibition “Streams in the Wasteland” in May of 2019.
Mentored by masters like acclaimed Canadian artist Robert Bateman, Tiessen has exhibited his work since 2006 in over 100 exhibitions including the National Gallery of Canada and prominent galleries in the United States. He has sold over 150 original works and hundreds of limited edition giclée prints to private and corporate Canadian and international collectors.
Featured over 200 times in the press & media (Forbes, American Art Collector, International Artist), speaking and teaching at 60 venues, and making 90 invited art donations to charitable organizations, Tiessen established the Arts for a Change Foundation. This prolific artist has garnered over 60 awards and honours including International Guild of Realism Creative Achievement, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Canada's Top 20 Under 20, for his artistic accomplishment and philanthropic work.
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| | AVAILABLE WORKS | |
 Josh Tiessen Auguries of Innocence III Oil on birch 8 x 8 inches Signed |  Josh Tiessen The Kairos Stones Oil on birch 18 x 40 x 2 inches Signed |  Josh Tiessen Peace Like a River Oil on panel 33 x 34 x 2 inches Signed |  Josh Tiessen Sophia Oil on panel 24 inch diameter Signed |  Josh Tiessen Refracting Infinity Oil on panel 36 x 24 x 2 inches Signed |
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