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Tom Wudl: The Flowerbank World 11 March – 19 June 2020 More info here. L.A. Louver 45 N Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 (310) 822-4955 / info@lalouver.com

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TOM WUDL THE FLOWERBANK WORLD

L.A. Louver is pleased to present Tom Wudl: The Flowerbank World, an exhibition of new and recent works by the Los Angeles-based artist. Over the past two decades, Wudl has taken inspiration from the revered Buddhist text, the Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Ornament Scripture), to create an ongoing series of painstakingly detailed paintings, drawings and prints made in response to the text’s evocative and profound literary descriptions. Considered “the most colorful and dramatic rehearsals of Buddhist teachings,” the Avatamsaka Sutra is believed to be one of the earliest discourses by the Buddha. Among the nearly two dozen works from 2015-20 on display, the exhibition includes one of Wudl’s early paper-punch abstractions from 1973, as well as an in-progress large-scale work that he commenced in 2018. As a devotee of Buddhism, spirituality has remained at the core of his artistic output; and as a life-long student of Art and Art History, Wudl’s admiration for artists that have embraced the sacred in their work, has encouraged his own artistic pursuits. As a part of this exhibition, a selection of works by these formative “spiritually motivated” artists are presented in conversation with works by Wudl, from Wassily Kandinsky and Agnes Martin, to the Australian Aboriginal artist John Mawurndjul and a 19th century Tibetan Mandala painting. Tom Wudl: The Flowerbank World 11 March – 19 June 2020 More info here. L.A. Louver 45 N Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 (310) 822-4955 / info@lalouver.com

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Tom Wudl Mantra Mirror, 2020 pencil, gouache, gesso, 22k gold powder on paper paper: 83 x 87 in. (210.8 x 221 cm) framed: 84 7/8 x 68 3/4 in. (215.6 x 174.6 cm)

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Mantra Mirror is an elegant reflection of the key elements of Wudl’s practice. The central flower holds myriad jewels, whose facets reflect light in a demonstration of the interconnectedness of all things. They are arranged in a symbolic quartered square that resembles illustrations that accompanied Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s highly influential 1810 treatise on color theory. This is but one of many authors and artists whose work comprises a certain lineage for the spiritual in art, of which Wudl feels strongly a part. The outer petals of the flower bear a pattern of lotus blossoms, symbols of purity and enlightenment. This whole central element is crowned in a geometric gem form and held within a sphere bearing the mantra “om mani padme hum.” Surrounding this are collaged jewels, geometric solids, flowers, and clubs, all suspended in a sprawling connective web.

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Tom Wudl Light of Unexcelled Great Knowledge, 2016 22K gold powder, gum arabic, pencil, white gold leaf, polymer medium on Tengucho paper paper: 8 1/4 x 4 3/4 in. (21 x 12.1 cm) framed: 14 1/2 x 12 x 2 in. (36.8 x 30.5 x 5.1 cm)

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The grid woven from the meeting of two sets of vertical and horizontal lines in this work can be interpreted as a web or a net. In Buddhist philosophy, the web relates to the delusion, or arbitrary restrictions of consciousness that pervades our existence. Within the sutra, flowers symbolize “the mind or mental factors or states, particularly the development of wholesome qualities and the unfolding of knowledge.” In this instance, the profusion of flowers surrounding the central net can be seen as knowledge emerging directly from delusion and the physical limitations of this world.

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Tom Wudl Network of Universal Vows, 2016 22k gold leaf, 22k gold powder, gum arabic, pencil, white gold leaf, gouache, polymer medium on Tengucho paper 5 7/8 x 3 1/4 in. (14.9 x 8.3 cm) framed: 17 x 13 1/4 x 2 in. (43.2 x 33.7 x 5.1 cm)

The bifurcated structure of Network of Universal Vows offers a window through which the viewer can begin to conceptualize the boundlessness of Enlightenment.

The bottom half of the composition is grounded in the natural world, portraying a single delicate maple leaf in deep gold. Its rich tones are in stark contrast to the pale blue background, bringing to mind the tranquility of an early spring sky. Above this, a dynamic swirl of woven lines hold an accumulation of flower blooms and faceted jewels, a visualization of the Avatamsaka Sutra’s description of Enlightenment:

“Nets of myriad gems and garlands of exquisitely scented flowers hung all around. The finest jewels appeared spontaneously, raining inexhaustible quantities of gems and beautiful flowers all over the earth.”

Network of Universal Vows serves as a reminder that the world of the Enlightened lies just above the world of the everyday.

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Tom Wudl Light Shining Everywhere on Boundless Worlds, 2016 pencil, 22k gold powder, gum arabic, white gold leaf, polymer medium, PVA adhesive on Tengucho paper 35 5/8 x 23 5/8 in. (90.5 x 60 cm) framed: 40 5/8 x 28 in. (103.2 x 71.1 cm) Private collection

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INCONCLUSIVE AUTHENTICITY

SACRED ART IN A SECULAR WORLD by Tom Wudl

This essay attempts to put my work in a historical context, albeit a lineage of my own invention. It is about spiritually motivated art, and the challenges faced by artists who have made it from the Renaissance to our day. I have not written a legitimate history, but an outline of ideas, from art and artists of various disciplines, that have guided the trajectory of my work for nearly fifty years. Some of what is written here might be paradoxical and is not subject to verification. That said, my hope is that the reader may recognize the logic that unifes all the contradictions. Facts like dates, places and names are intended as anchors for the fights of fancy that shape the speculations, opinions and beliefs presented. There are three alternating themes throughout: the sacred role of art, the curious but inevitable collaboration between the sacred and secular arts, and lastly, the intertwining of rational and irrational modalities of creativity. read the whole essay

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Tom Wudl Study #2, 2016 laser print, paper 11 x 8 1/2 x 1/2 in. (27.9 x 21.6 x 1.3 cm) framed: 10 3/4 x 13 1/4 x 3 in. (27.3 x 33.7 x 7.6 cm)

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Tom Wudl Study #1, 2016 inkjet print, laser print, paper and graphite 8 1/2 x 11 x 3/4 in. (21.6 x 27.9 x 1.9 cm) framed: 10 3/4 x 13 1/4 x 3 in. (27.3 x 33.7 x 7.6 cm)

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Tom Wudl Study #3, 2016 laser print, paper 8 1/2 x 11 x 1/2 in. (22.2 x 27.9 x 1.3 cm) framed: 10 3/4 x 13 1/4 x 3 in. (27.3 x 33.7 x 7.6 cm)

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Tom Wudl Rain of Celestial Flowers, 2014 pencil, gouache, and 22k gold on rag paper image: 8 1/4 x 9 3/4 in. (21 x 24.8 cm) framed: 16 1/2 x 17 1/4 in. (41.9 x 43.8 cm) Private collection

Rain of Celestial Flowers was conceived as a study for the larger painting One Hundred Trillion Concentrations (also on view). This is the artist’s first attempt to portray a gem or jewel-like form at the center of the flower. In creating this imagery, Wudl took inspiration from the final chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra titled “Entry into the Realm of Reality,” in which the protagonist Sudhana journeys on a pilgrimage in search of enlightenment. On his quest, he visits five thousand beings, who themselves achieved absolute liberation through meditation. Sudhana was in awe of the innumerable methods of meditation (concentration) through which these beings attained enlightenment.

In this rendering, Wudl attempts to symbolically visualize the boundless, yet interconnected qualities of these beings and their methodologies for meditation. The sutra refers to flowers as a symbol for wisdom and spiritual development, and the gem is used to signify enlightening teachings. Here we see the two intensify together in manifold ways. The gem reflects the flower on every facet of its being. The flowers, featured in dense repetition, are almost identical replications which exist independently, but when combined together form a collective whole. Through this imagery, Wudl portrays not only the underlying physical exactitude in nature, but also the capacity for everything in the universe to reflect everything else.

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Tom Wudl One Hundred Trillion Concentrations, 2015 acrylic, 22 karat gold, gum arabic on rice paper over wood panel 30 x 36 in. (76.2 x 91.4 cm) framed: 33 1/4 x 39 1/8 x 4 5/8 in. (84.5 x 99.4 x 11.7 cm)

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This painting's organization recalls traditional Tibetan mandalas, with its central image surrounded at each corner by echoing but distinct forms. A net of flowers is cast over the entire surface. The Avatamsaka Sutra refers to flowers as a symbol for wisdom and spiritual development. Here, they exist independently, but when combined together form a collective whole that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things.

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AVATAMSAKA SUTRA (FLOWER ORNAMENT SCRIPTURE)

An excerpt from the first chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Ornament Scripture): 

THUS HAVE I HEARD. At one time the Buddha was in the land of the Magadha, in a state of purity, at the site of enlightenment, having just realized true awareness. The ground was solid and firm, made of diamond, adorned with exquisite jewel discs and myriad precious flowers, with pure clear crystals. The ocean of characteristics of the various colors appeared over an infinite extent. There were banners of precious stones, constantly emitting shining light and producing beautiful sounds. Nets of myriad gems and garlands of exquisitely scented flowers hung all around. The finest jewels appeared spontaneously, raining inexhaustible quantities of gems and beautiful flowers all over the earth. There were rows of jewel trees, their branches and foliage lustrous and luxuriant. By the Buddha’s spiritual power, he caused all the adornments of this enlightenment site to be reflected therein.

Cleary, Thomas. The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of The Avatamsaka Sutra. Boston & London: Shambala Publications, 1993: 55. Print.

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Tom Wudl Great Brilliance of the Moon Reflected in the Ocean, 2016 pencil, 22k gold powder, gum arabic, white gold, polymer medium on Tengucho paper 12 x 14 1/2 in. (30.5 x 36.8 cm) framed: 18 1/4 x 20 3/4 x 2 in. (46.4 x 52.7 x 5.1 cm) Private collection

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Tom Wudl Wondrous Qualities of Natural Origination, 2016 22k gold powder, gum arabic, polymer medium, gouache, pencil on Tengucho paper 8 1/4 x 8 5/8 in. (21 x 21.9 cm) framed: 13 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 1 in. (34.3 x 31.8 x 3.8 cm)

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Tom Wudl Om Mani Padme Hum, 2018- pencil, gouache, gesso, 22k gold powder, 22k gold leaf and white gold leaf on panel panel: 79 x 68 in. (200.7 x 172.7 cm) framed: 81 9/16 x 70 7/16 in. (207.2 x 178.9 cm)

(additional element) paper: 21 3/4 x 25 1/2 in. (55.2 x 64.8 cm) framed: 27 x 36 in. (68.6 x91.4 cm)

In 2018, Tom Wudl commenced what will be his largest work made in response to the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Ornament Scripture). Its title, "Om Mani Padme Hum," is an ancient Sanskrit mantra that represents the essence of all Buddhist teachings. For Wudl, this large piece is an amalgamation of the subjects and motifs visualized in his works over the past two decades. Still in progress and without a definitive date for completion, Wudl has fully committed himself towards what could be considered the summation of his career to date.

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Tom Wudl describes his mindset and inspiration in the studio while working on his punctiliously detailed "Om Mani Padme Hum," a work which is still in progress, and on display in L.A. Louver's exhibition Tom Wudl: The Flowerbank World 11 March - 30 May 2020.