MEGAN KNOBLOCH GEILMAN + RON RICHMOND / Works Of Translation: A Conversation

January 27 – June 30, 2020

Works of Translation: A Conversation features complimentary works by two Utah artists: the large-scale photographs by Megan Knobloch Geilman, and oil painting by Ron Richmond. The imagery in Geilman’s and Richmond’s pieces reference the historic work Salvator Mundi, by Leonardo Da Vinci, as well as the Japanese tradition of Kintsugi which are presented as photographs.

Header image: Adam’s Dilema, Megan Knobloch Geilman / Photography by Samantha Zauscher

Geilman’s series Works of Translation, are photographic and digital compositions exploring historical narratives, doctrine, and social issues from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Using references from art history and symbolic objects, Geilman seeks to explore these narratives and communicate them to new audiences. Her work is about transmission, recontextualization, and symbolic meaning—in essence, they are works of translation.

In Richmond’s painting, he explores the paradox in surface marks and symbolism. The lines, marks, and brushstrokes that comprise the surface of a painting are symbols – they are abstract, yet they convey meanings only realized by our subconscious yearnings for archetypes. When marks and brushstrokes translate into a recognizable subject, they symbolize the object while never actually becoming it. The paradox lies in the fact that no matter how exact an object is represented in the painting, it is still an illusionistic symbol of something else.

Salvator Mundi by Leonardo Da Vinci translates into Savior of the World. It was believed to have been painted by Da Vinci in Italy between (1452-1529). The painting depicts Christ with his right hand forming a cross referencing the crucifixion, and in his left hand a transparent crystal orb representing the celestial sphere, indicating his role as the savior of the world. The art of kintsugi is a Japanese tradition used to repair broken ceramics. Kintsugi translates to golden joinery, a literal translation of the process, the joining of fragmented shards through gold lacquer. The kintsugi tradition is used as a metaphor for the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi roughly meaning to “see beauty in the flawed”.

Works of Translation: A Conversation explores the role and use of symbolism in visual art using contemporary and historical artworks as references. By offering a new context, artists are able to create dialogue within a visual work, providing new depth and meaning for the individual viewer.

About the Artists

Megan Knobloch Geilman’s work uses art historical reference and symbolic objects to explore doctrine, history, and social issues within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her work is inspired by, among others: the Dutch masters, Jeff Wall, Sandy Skoglund, Bill Viola, and Fred Wilson. She studied Art at the California College of the Arts and Brigham Young University. In 2019 she exhibited a collaborative video art piece with fellow artists Page Turner and Samantha Zauscher at the Center for Latter-day Saint Art in New York City. She is a dedicated artist currently residing in Provo, Utah. www.worksoftranslation.com 

Ron Richmond’s paintings employ symbolism in both subject and form, exploring relationships of contrast: order and chaos, life and decay, sin and redemption, the ethereal and the concrete. Richmond has exhibited his work in galleries and museums in major cities such as New York, Washington D.C., Houston, Atlanta, Scottsdale, San Francisco, and London. His work is collected by museums (BYU Museum of Art, Church History Museum, Springville Museum of Art); public collections (State of Utah, Salt Lake County, Snow College); corporations (Saks Fifth Avenue, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hilton DoubleTree Hotels, Credit Suisse, Four Seasons Hotels); and private individuals. He was commissioned by Utah State University to paint a mural that hangs in the Bingham Research Center in Vernal. Richmond received a BFA and MFA from Brigham Young University, and currently works as a professional artist and an adjunct professor at Snow College. He was born in Denver, Colorado and lives in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. www.ronrichmond.com