“Indeed, the relationship of manmade structures to the natural world offers…the richest and most valuable physical and intellectual experience that architecture can show. I believe to be the essential fact of architecture and, indeed, of human life on earth: the relation of mankind to the natural order.”
Vincent Scully, “Architecture: The Natural and the Manmade,” 1991
Somehow for me, the human psyche and its relationship to nature and the universe can be explored via an ancient Native American ruin next to a wasp’s nest, the Florence Cathedral’s duomo opposite the human skull, the similar forms of an Indian Chaitya Hall and an artichoke, or a pinecone echoing the complexity of the Brooklyn Bridge. I can derive aesthetic pleasure from the contemplation of a Chinese Scholar’s rock juxtapositioned next to the intricate fretted surface of a stone cathedral façade.
My work seeks to honor the work of Nature as artist, as well as man. My continuing fascination with the inner workings of the natural and manmade worlds has led me to a discovery of the inherently metaphysical aspects of architecture. Buildings, like found objects in nature, have the capacity to evoke wonder, inspiration and sometimes reverence. It is my intent in these drawings to cause a sense of awe, mystery and reflection in the Viewer, a sense of the presence and spirit of God.”
Vikki J. Martin, 2001