Lafayette Journal & Courier

Icons appeal to faith, art

By BOB SCOTT
October 21, 2006

Starting Monday, 132 Orthodox Christian icons will be on display for six weeks at Purdue University. Icons usually are paintings of sacred Christian figures that are venerated in the Eastern Church.

The Rev. Gregory Allard, the pastor of St. Alexis Orthodox Church in Lafayette, said the free exhibition has a variety of icons. When his church's icons were installed in December 2000, he called them the "windows to heaven."

"Icons are a consistent part of Orthodox worship," he said this week. "These images can be found in the very early Christian tombs in the West and the East.

"They expressed for people who weren't literate the same biblical stories and the sweep of history from Judaism forward to Christianity."

"Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection" will be presented in the Purdue Memorial Union's Robert L. Ringel Gallery until Dec. 3. Katherine "Betsy" Scheuring donated the icons last fall to the Purdue University Galleries.

Craig Martin, director of Purdue University Galleries, said the icon exhibit has broad appeal.

"Whether you are a religious person or not, you can walk in and see the historic nature of the icons," he said.

He said most of the pieces at Purdue are contemporary art, not religious or spiritual.

"It is wonderful to make a comparison for students," Martin said. "This is art for art's sake, a wonderful exploration of color and light.

"These are not just art objects, but devotional images. Devotional thought went into these paintings."

Martin said the largest icon is about 24 inches high, while the smallest ones are a few inches.

Art historian David Parrish said the icons at Purdue are from the late-Byzantine period. They are Russian and Ethiopian icons that range from the 17th century to the 21st century.

"Byzantine always remains in touch with its classical sources. It is a wonderful compromise between realism and abstraction," said Parrish, a Purdue professor.

He said visitors will be amazed at the beauty of the icons.

"The colors you see are very rich because of the tempera technique," he said. "The artists use a very fine brush and apply it to a wood panel."

Tempera is a medium that mixes pigment with a water-soluble glutinous material such as an egg yolk. The paint then bonds with the wood.

The most common icons are images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints and martyrs.

"There are beautiful images of the Virgin Mary and Christ child," Parrish said. "Mary is referred to as the 'Mother of God.' That elevates her to a very high status."

Martin said he hopes many people, including students, will visit the exhibit.

"We especially want to attract young people," he said.

"There aren't too many place people can see free art."