B L I N D F A I T H  

Ray Monday questions where magic religion, and faith become separate?

When does religion become faith, at what point does faith become magic and why as humans are we drawn to magic?

Throughout history people have believed that their deceased hero figures will someday return to them as messiahs and we have as people flocked to various places of worship. The relationship between the needs of our consciousness and the evolving complexities of the world give way to human nature and as humans we often feel it’s important to understand all things. A lot of emphasis around the world across all cultures is placed on worship of all kinds. In order for us to feel close to an explanation for our own existence, humans are often drawn to engaging in some form of magic but who’s to say what is strictly defined as magic. What we should believe in and what constitutes great faith?

What do these icons, religions, obsessions and practices bring to us as humans, are they equal in their value, are they all magic and does anyone need faith or magic to exist?.

These artworks were chosen to represent an even spiritual platform. They range from sporting heroes to religious icons to spiritual gatherings. Every chosen piece was blurred to a point where you can recognise the picture whilst the forefront focus of these images is blurred meant to evoke an equal sense of reverie and faith across the board. Ray Monday hopes the the viewer can loose any discrimination towards any particular faith whether that be football or christianity and instead find themselves attracted to faith and to magic equally.Experiencing magic and faith as simple and powerful tools for healing and reflection.

As a child Ray Monday was brought up as a Seventh Day Adventist. The north London Holloway church was the main family church where congregation and the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is observed as the day of rest and worship,

The Sabbath is a day of communion with God and one another. Holy time from Friday evening to Saturday evening, from sunset to sunset, within this religion.

As an adult Ray Monday rejects all religion.

When making a collection of pure digital artwork for this exhibition I wanted to create the illusion of depth to give a deeper dimension which is less easily achievable with pure digital work, I wanted to create the feeling I get when I sit in a quiet place of worship whether that be travelling and visiting a physical building of worship to experience the silence and architectural features or perhaps simply sat in a place within my mind. Hoping to offer the viewer a place of deep spiritual reflection through an iconic image they may not usually connect to in that way, the blurring allowing them to bypass their normal reaction and pause for thought.

As a multidisciplinary artist and a gallery owner who works with hundreds of digital artists publishing, printing, representing and advising on archival fine art prints, the world of digital art does often leave me wanting. Working digitally for years with art and photography I know all the tricks and often those tricks, all the filters and all the ways you can make a digital try look painterly and quickly knock things out and fix things up, can ultimately take away from the substance, not always, but often the desire for quantity, speed and sales targets take over in both digital art and digital photography,

Although atheist I do believe in faith, magic, spiritual awakenings and community gatherings all being equal healing tools and that they all play an important role in helping humans cope. People can look down on football fans, judge Christians or Muslims, belittle people who choose a faith or sports based religion they themselves do not relate to. With this body of digital work I show my respect for all faiths and question the blurred lines between them all to highlight the similarity between every humans need for spiritual refuge.

RAY MONDAY

Archival prints / German hahnemule photographic rag paper 308gsm.

These digital artworks are an extension of two titles by Ray Monday . Touched for the very first time and It really wasn’t clear.

All available framed or unframed from Pineapple Gallery / Melbourne / Australia and 35Blummen / Krefeld / Germany

"Running with the Wolves II" - A show that is playful, enigmatic and mysterious. 

Synchronicity and improvisation play an important role in my curatorial style, and I look forward to being surprised...

Nothing is certain, and everything is possible.  

SIG WALLER