Breaking Free: Dark Energy, Dark Matter

Paintings by Margaret Schnebly Hodge

Opening Reception Friday, March 7, 5:30-8 P.M.

Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum

101 W. 1st Street, Jacksonville, FL         Now through April 29.

Excerpt From The Universe

Excerpt from The Universe, 28″ x 68″, Oil on Canvas

Exhibit Essay by Gary R. Libby, Director Emeritus, Museum of Arts and Sciences, Daytona Beach, FL.

Long appreciated as an abstract figurative and landscape painter using a dark and rich palette and with a philosophical preoccupation with concepts of physical and emotional restraint, confinement and a striving for a sense of freedom, Margaret Schnebly Hodge has traveled a long and very interesting path of achievement in her career to date which can be viewed in the variety of the artwork presented in this exhibition.

Matter+Energy=

Matter+Energy=, 42″ x 42″, Oil on Canvas

Born in Daytona Beach, Florida, and athletic as a child and young adult, Hodge discovered the making of art as a means of personal self-expression in high school and later in college at Daytona State where she attended with a scholarship from the Daytona Beach Art League and eventually the University of Florida where she was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the School of Fine Arts. Later, Hodge studied at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach before winning a 2005 Florida Arts Council Enhancement Grant as well as a number of additional awards and commendations from organizations throughout the State of Florida.

Stellar Drift

Stellar Drift, 48″ x 60″, Oil on Canvas

Hodge has exhibited her work selectively with recent exhibitions at the Florida Museum for Women Artists, DeLand; the Yvonne Scarlett Golden Cultural Center, Daytona Beach; and now the Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Jacksonville. Here she has unveiled a new group of paintings with a “cosmic “ theme. A casual glance at the titles of her recent work and a close look at the work itself suggests that Hodge has dramatically expanded her aesthetic vision beyond the sense of earth-bound considerations which occupied her earlier work. Now Hodge seems to look up and deeply into the night sky as a source of inspiration, especially since the phenomenal discoveries and deep-space images from the Hubble and other space telescopes which are looking into the worlds of dark matter and dark energy. These concepts redefine and help to explain our expanding and simultaneously collapsing universe. But Hodge is not merely illustrating these phenomena in a scientific way. Rather she is remystifying our universe in a series of large, complex and colorful paintings that suggest large ideas about our concepts of human visual perception and the workings of the outer universe.

Freedom Burst

Freedom Burst, 12″ x 12″, Oil on Canvas

The qualities of light in a dynamic cosmos, the existence of supernovas, the qualities of dark stars, dark matter, dark energy, baryonic clouds of matter and known ideas about anti-matter all seem to find a place in Hodge’s richly painted visions of a beautiful and powerful apocalypse on the heels of contemporary sciences early penetration into the mysteries of creation and destruction in our universe. In many ways Hodge’s new work artistically begins to bridge some elements of the new science with the eternal beauty and mystery of the Heavens.

 Gary R. Libby

Director Emeritus

Museum of Arts and Sciences, Daytona Beach, FL

 

Shape your Glyph now!

You are making this project succeed, so please keep sharing the site as much as possible www.glyphproject.info and the direct link to the cultural survey  ( click the monkey head). SurveyFollow this blog for automatic updates.  I promise no info overload, so please post/like/share/friend/tweet/link without fear!Glyph

A “call for audios and visuals” from survey participants will be issued in October 2013. Join the happening now by taking the survey. Follow this blog for auto updates and calls for additional material.

Observations from Glyph Project Survey continued: Sections 10, 11, 12, and 13

The following information is derived from a quick review of existing data and is not meant to reflect final outcomes.

My studies over the past years revealed a vast array of meanings found in shapes and colors. Major influences on meanings come from cultural background / traditions, spiritual belief systems, and contemporary interpretations. I suspect life experiences and length of life also play roles in selections. What do you think?

Survey Section 10 – Select the symbol that best represents your belief system. Consider the answer you gave to questions 7 and 8 (see Post Sept 5) if you believe in a Supreme Being(s), and questions 7 and 9 if you do not believe in a Supreme Being(s). 

Question symbol of belief system

Click image for stats on Glyph participants by symbol choice

The top 4 selected symbols are Sphere (44%), Circle (26%), with Cone #1 and Triangle #1 tied (8%).  A basic symbolic meaning of a sphere and a circle they both are without beginning or end. They are formed by determining points equidistant from one center.  The cone and triangles noted here are oriented with the point up. The shapes can reflect a hierarchal system of belief. The broad base might reflect a foundation / mass. Click the graphic above for data on all answers. What do you see?

Click here for stats on Glyph participants by color of spiritual belief system

Click image for stats on Glyph participants by color choice

Of the color swatches provided, the top 5 colors selected by respondents are White (27%), Blue (18%), with Blue-green, Purple, and Red tied (10%).  Click the image on the left for data on all color selections.

White is the color seen by the human eye when it looks at light containing all the wavelengths of the visible spectrum. On the optical spectrum blue is located between violet and green. Blue is the color most commonly associated with harmony and hope – think of blue sky and blue bird of happiness. Symbolically the color blue and purple represent power and royalty – and historically the color, being made from precious stones/minerals, was generally used for the most important characters in art work. Got observations to share?

Survey Section 12 – Select the characteristics of the color you chose in question 11? Select as many as you like or select none.

Question color characteristic

Click image for stats on Glyph participants by color characteristic

The majority of respondents selected Glowing (28%) and Translucent (25%), followed by Other (19%). The responses in the “Other” category tended to remark on animated actions of the color or expand on the intensity of a color.  For clarification, my observation means that these 3 words showed up more in the group of words selected by respondents and does not mean they were selected in this order. Click the image on the left for data on all selections. What are your thoughts?

Survey Section 13 – Have you ever had an experience where you were “filled with the spirit?”; were “one with the universe?”; felt you were “outside of your body?”; were in a “state of enlightenment?”; All of the above; or None of the above.

Glyph Experience

Click image for stats on Glyph participants by experience. (Unbound by Margaret Schnebly Hodge)

Of answers provided the top 4 responses are: Filled with the Spirit (26%), State of Enlightenment and One with the Universe tied (22%), followed by Outside Your Body (21%).  Next came All of the Above (5%) and None of the Above (4%).  Consider the relationship between the 4 percent selection of “None of the Above” and my earlier blog post (Sept 5), discussion on “Select a word to describe your belief system”, where 18 percent of respondents answered atheist or no belief system.  Click the image to the right for data on experiences. Looking at all posts on Glyph what are you thinking?

It is important to note that the project survey produces data from what is considered a “sampling” of the population, and is not a “controlled” group. I intentionally chose this survey style as I wanted anyone over age 18 to be able to participate. To join the project and complete the survey, click the image below.

Feed the need....get Glyphed now!

Feed the need….Do the Glyph now!

A “call for audios and visuals” from survey participants will be issued soon. Stay tuned as more observations on the responses are issued. Follow this blog for automatic updates.

Share/Pass it Forward/ Like it to friends, family and associates.

Glyph Project trending 18 states!

Click here to find Glyphers on our interactive map

Click here to find Glyphers on our interactive map

Checkout this interactive map and find your zip.

You are making this project succeed, so please keep sharing the site as much as possible www.glyphproject.info and the direct link to the cultural survey  ( click the monkey head). SurveyFollow this blog for automatic updates.  I promise no info overload, so please post/like/share/friend/tweet/link without fear!Glyph

A “call for audios and visuals” from survey participants will be issued in October 2013. Join the happening now by taking the survey. Follow this blog for auto updates and calls for additional material.

The following observations are derived from a quick review of existing data and are not meant to reflect the final outcomes of the survey phase.

horn-of-plenty-marian-christopher-zacharow

Click here for stats on Glyph participants by belief system
(Art by Marian Christoper Zacharow)

Survey Section 6 – Select the word that best describes your belief system.

The current data shows the 3 most entered answers are Christianity (44.8%), Other (13.6%), Atheist (10.4%). Respondents used “Other” when the 9 categories in the listing did not describe their belief system and then entered in their own descriptive words. I think it is Interesting to note  that while Christianity is currently the highest single category, all other categories together make up 56% of the respondents.  For the actual chart of data, click the image above. What are your observations?

Click here for stats on Glyph participants by spiritual belief system ("Pathways" by Margaret Schnebly Hodge)

Click here for stats on Glyph participants by spiritual belief system (“Pathways” by Margaret Schnebly Hodge)

Survey Section 7 – Select the word that best describes your spiritual belief system

The two most entered answers are One Supreme Being based on the trilogy (27%) and One Supreme Being (25%).  Although 10.3% of glyphers answered “atheist” in Section 6, the percent of those entering “Believe In Nothing” is 5% in this section.  Natural Cosmic Forces received 19%. Click the image to the right “Pathways” for a data chart of answers.

Survey Section 8 – If you believe in a Supreme Being or Beings, select five words to describe the characteristics of what you believe in or if you do not believe in a Supreme Being(s) skip to the next question. (64% of all glyphers responded to this section)

Click here for stats on words describing characteristics of a supreme being(s)

Click here for stats – 5 words to describe Supreme Being(s) characteristics

Ultimately, the combination of the 5 words varies by each respondent. The top choice is Ever-present (13%) with Loving and Forgiving tied (11%). The next 3 words are Absolute, Compassionate, and Merciful. For clarification, this observation means that these 6 words showed up more in the group of five words chosen and does not mean they were selected in this order or by all respondents. Click the image on the left for details on how often a word was selected.

Glyph Human Character

Click here for stats – 5 words to describe what is valued in humans

Section 9 – Select five words you feel describe what you most value in human character. (100% of glyphers responded to this section)

As in section 8, the combination of words selected varies by each respondent. The top choice is Compassionate (10%), followed by Honest (7%), and then the three words coming in with 6% are Ethical, Loving, Trustworthy, with Forgiving receiving 5 percent. For clarification, this observation means that these 7 words showed up more in the group of five words chosen and does not mean they were selected in this order or by all respondents. Click the image above for details on all words chosen.

It is important to note that the project survey produces data from what is considered a “sampling” of the population, and is not a “controlled” group. I intentionally chose this survey style as I wanted anyone over age 18 to be able to participate. To join the project and complete the survey, click the image below.

Feed the need....get Glyphed now!

Feed the need….Do the Glyph now!

A “call for audios and visuals” from survey participants will be issued soon. Stay tuned as more observations on the responses are issued. Follow this blog for automatic updates.

Share/Pass it Forward/ Like it to friends, family and associates.