About the painting - takeaway value
The Dark Throne (2010) focuses on the theme of God's hiddenness. He created our visible universe in mere beauty and unfathomable dimensions (coming from the invisible realms that are eternal, as the apostle Paul states). Yet God himself remains the unseen One.
Just the same, with my inner eyes I definitely do sense some of God's splendor.
But on and off, all this comes with a sense of frustration.
At some point, unable to cope with God's apparent silence and feeling utterly frustrated by some circumstances, I envisioned my situation this way:
I felt like groping about and stumbling across the throne hall of the Creator God.
It seemed like pitch black and the silence was absolute.
Venturing forward I came near the throne seat and I sensed its majesty.
For the moment, the Creator's throne seat was left empty.
Like if He was choosing to remain silent, keeping me waiting. To this end even avoiding me like in a playful manner. As if He had swiftly sidestepped and then left the hall.
Totally elusive.
God seemed to walk out on me.
There was nothing I could do.
For an endless void of time the throne room did remain dark and abandoned.
All of a sudden, the tilting point: His presence moved. I did not see His shape nor figure.
Rather the whole throne room started transforming altogether, an all-encompassing sensation.
Light flowing in, filling in. Blackness oozing out.
Like if lights of crystal were dimmed up just a little bit.
Things and substances all around appearing, shaping up in front of my eyes, becoming colorful... ever slowly, a spectacle of sparkles.
Like showers of sparkling colors, like diamond powder flickering on black cloth.
Standing by, and watching in amazement like a child, I took in the whole scene.
Totally restful.
This personal experience became the vintage point for this whole painting project entitled "The Dark Throne". Meanwhile I am working on a whole series of successive paintings on this particular experience and its central theme of God's "dark Majesty".
[Note: Years later, I read about some christian-prophetic authors speaking independently about some similar kind of encounter with the Eternal One too (f.i. Rick Joyner or Anna Méndez). I'm glad that I was granted (if only in some slightly similar way though!) this kind of a first-hand experience. Grateful to be exposed to this kind of experience without any advance warning or distracting foreknowledge.]
Initially, I only wanted to picture God's throne hall merged in blackness - in some manner similar to the abstract series of black acrylics by the French abstract painter Pierre Soulages (1919-2022). Pierre Soulage found out about the fascinating light reflections on heavily textured black paint. And he used to say that his instrument wasn't the black paint as such, but rather the light reflected from the black. He then coined a new word for his practice: Outrenoir, which in English is best translated with 'beyond black'. [English Wikipedia].
But then I realized the personal challenge should be to go beyond that goal, if possible.
Contemplating further on my own first-hand experience (that I somewhat tried to describe above), I felt challenged to venture in uncharted territories, trying out, whether or not it was possible, to shape some kind of a painterly merger between "blackness" ánd "whiteness" in an altogether newly metaphoric way (?)
"Blackness" and "Whiteness" not as in yin-yang, that is, not as in a monistic or even dualistic paradigm, but in the foundational biblical way, so to speak, at the same time transcendent and immanent. The bible testifies to the fact, that when it comes to the essential personality of the supreme Creator, there's actually only light, truth and goodness in Him, and absolutely no trace of evil darkness at all to be found in Him. In an all pervading absolute way God the Creator is truely good.
Yet the bible also makes it clear, that there are dimensions to God's awesome personality that will ever appear total frightening to a human, even deadly. God the Creator is "transcendent", therefore supremely sovereign. Existing fully beyond and in that sense apart from the created cosmos and mankind. And as such ever inaccessible and unavailable if He would choose so (which He didn't!). As through the biblical report it is also made clear, that the Creator indeed speaks and reveals Himself into this world in an "immanent" manner. As such God is, in an truely objective way and manner, in some respects experiencially and communicatively accessible and understandable for mankind.
Anyway, the bible states the intrinsic goodness of God as much as His fearsome Holyness. In the end no angelic creature nor any man will mock the Holy One and get away with that. Make no mistake: God's throne room can and may appear with "dangerous darkness". That's up to the living Person of God. He is the supreme holy One and so is his eternal command.
Fascinating venues! As a limited painter I'm trying to find some technically feasible ways to paint God's majestic throne in all its crushing paradox! If possible, I would like my painting "Dark Throne" to appear at first like pitch black and fearsome dark... Then again glistening with light and sparks of color... An overwhelming sort of painting where the gloomy part is simultaneously lit up by sparkles of light and color.
And though I won't take the shortcut - in some point of view that is - of actually sprinkle diamond dust on black paint, capturing color and light in a truely facinating and breathtaking manner of texture, like Andy Warhol (1928-1987) applied that shimmering material so elegantly back in 1979. I sense that there is still endlessly more to explore visually through painting. New visual metaphors and fresh insights may still lay hidden, awaiting us in all its "dark speech" as this suits the One True God and Father-Who-Is so well.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
The Bible in Proverbs 25:2 [International Standard Version]
The Dark Throne (2010) focuses on the theme of God's hiddenness. He created our visible universe in mere beauty and unfathomable dimensions (coming from the invisible realms that are eternal, as the apostle Paul states). Yet God himself remains the unseen One.
Just the same, with my inner eyes I definitely do sense some of God's splendor.
But on and off, all this comes with a sense of frustration.
At some point, unable to cope with God's apparent silence and feeling utterly frustrated by some circumstances, I envisioned my situation this way:
I felt like groping about and stumbling across the throne hall of the Creator God.
It seemed like pitch black and the silence was absolute.
Venturing forward I came near the throne seat and I sensed its majesty.
For the moment, the Creator's throne seat was left empty.
Like if He was choosing to remain silent, keeping me waiting. To this end even avoiding me like in a playful manner. As if He had swiftly sidestepped and then left the hall.
Totally elusive.
God seemed to walk out on me.
There was nothing I could do.
For an endless void of time the throne room did remain dark and abandoned.
All of a sudden, the tilting point: His presence moved. I did not see His shape nor figure.
Rather the whole throne room started transforming altogether, an all-encompassing sensation.
Light flowing in, filling in. Blackness oozing out.
Like if lights of crystal were dimmed up just a little bit.
Things and substances all around appearing, shaping up in front of my eyes, becoming colorful... ever slowly, a spectacle of sparkles.
Like showers of sparkling colors, like diamond powder flickering on black cloth.
Standing by, and watching in amazement like a child, I took in the whole scene.
Totally restful.
This personal experience became the vintage point for this whole painting project entitled "The Dark Throne". Meanwhile I am working on a whole series of successive paintings on this particular experience and its central theme of God's "dark Majesty".
[Note: Years later, I read about some christian-prophetic authors speaking independently about some similar kind of encounter with the Eternal One too (f.i. Rick Joyner or Anna Méndez). I'm glad that I was granted (if only in some slightly similar way though!) this kind of a first-hand experience. Grateful to be exposed to this kind of experience without any advance warning or distracting foreknowledge.]
Initially, I only wanted to picture God's throne hall merged in blackness - in some manner similar to the abstract series of black acrylics by the French abstract painter Pierre Soulages (1919-2022). Pierre Soulage found out about the fascinating light reflections on heavily textured black paint. And he used to say that his instrument wasn't the black paint as such, but rather the light reflected from the black. He then coined a new word for his practice: Outrenoir, which in English is best translated with 'beyond black'. [English Wikipedia].
But then I realized the personal challenge should be to go beyond that goal, if possible.
Contemplating further on my own first-hand experience (that I somewhat tried to describe above), I felt challenged to venture in uncharted territories, trying out, whether or not it was possible, to shape some kind of a painterly merger between "blackness" ánd "whiteness" in an altogether newly metaphoric way (?)
"Blackness" and "Whiteness" not as in yin-yang, that is, not as in a monistic or even dualistic paradigm, but in the foundational biblical way, so to speak, at the same time transcendent and immanent. The bible testifies to the fact, that when it comes to the essential personality of the supreme Creator, there's actually only light, truth and goodness in Him, and absolutely no trace of evil darkness at all to be found in Him. In an all pervading absolute way God the Creator is truely good.
Yet the bible also makes it clear, that there are dimensions to God's awesome personality that will ever appear total frightening to a human, even deadly. God the Creator is "transcendent", therefore supremely sovereign. Existing fully beyond and in that sense apart from the created cosmos and mankind. And as such ever inaccessible and unavailable if He would choose so (which He didn't!). As through the biblical report it is also made clear, that the Creator indeed speaks and reveals Himself into this world in an "immanent" manner. As such God is, in an truely objective way and manner, in some respects experiencially and communicatively accessible and understandable for mankind.
Anyway, the bible states the intrinsic goodness of God as much as His fearsome Holyness. In the end no angelic creature nor any man will mock the Holy One and get away with that. Make no mistake: God's throne room can and may appear with "dangerous darkness". That's up to the living Person of God. He is the supreme holy One and so is his eternal command.
Fascinating venues! As a limited painter I'm trying to find some technically feasible ways to paint God's majestic throne in all its crushing paradox! If possible, I would like my painting "Dark Throne" to appear at first like pitch black and fearsome dark... Then again glistening with light and sparks of color... An overwhelming sort of painting where the gloomy part is simultaneously lit up by sparkles of light and color.
And though I won't take the shortcut - in some point of view that is - of actually sprinkle diamond dust on black paint, capturing color and light in a truely facinating and breathtaking manner of texture, like Andy Warhol (1928-1987) applied that shimmering material so elegantly back in 1979. I sense that there is still endlessly more to explore visually through painting. New visual metaphors and fresh insights may still lay hidden, awaiting us in all its "dark speech" as this suits the One True God and Father-Who-Is so well.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
The Bible in Proverbs 25:2 [International Standard Version]
The Dark Throne Series
Biographical background
Back in 2004, I suffered a severe religious burn out. My soul left „church“ almost broke. I had the feeling that the personal God-Who-is-there was just too invisible and too silent to bear. Even so, it was clear as crystal to me, that I would never be able to reasonably question His existence, let alone ignore His presence above and throughout the universe. Therefore, I felt utterly trapped.
Like if I had fallen into a roaring sea that continually sucked me under. Smashing me endlessly against grinding cliffs. Pinned down and helpless, I remembered my nothingness, I was mere dust and ashes. Somehow I felt some of the „reckless“ might and sovereign authority of God-our-Father („Swallowing Ocean“), as likewise I did sense His „stern“ will and resolve of character („Cliffs“).
My projected ideas about God were faltering. Clearly, He was not going to be manipulated by them, ever. Shockingly I woke up to His dangerous side (the severity of God really balances His kindness, as He is both and more!). I was wrestling in the sea with the One! In almost the same manner, I was groping blindly before His very throne seat! And all of this happening like in total silence or consuming darkness. Like a sort of inexplicable test requiring you to fail.
At some point I stepped into the void, deciding to pay Him out in his own coin. Now I was going to turn a blind eye to Him! Too far gone as to fear any damnation. This act of defiance helped me regain a sense of self. For years I had been crying out in vain for some heavenly response. Then at last, I stopped hoping for Him to answer me, and quietness finally set in.
„Lovely, isn't it? This intimacy between us now.“ That hit the nail right on. Oh paradox! Though I refused to address Him any longer, trying to shut Him out through stubborn silence, I had in fact been unable to do so completely. In the end I was just too familiar and besotted with His presence. Fully suprised, I did notice, that apparently, the Living One! wasn't even offended by my harsh acting out. On the contrary, and astonishingly so, He even dropped that "reply sentence" in my mind with a slight undertone of guarded respect! Making it clear, that in case I would decide to stay mad at Him, He would not hold that against me. Go figure!
These testing grounds are here to stay. Anchoring me from on high, inspiring me with trust. The real deal. Our sovereign God really is in charge with excellent timing. My surrender comes less frantic now. I've come to understand that divine pressurizing of the soul somewhat resembles the process of cutting diamonds.
The Dark Throne Series - Overview
Throne, 2001 - Gian MerlevedeThis painting Throne, 2001 served as a prefiguration of The Dark Throne Series Acrylics on thick paper. 67x97 cm → Photo Details |
The Dark Throne, 2010 - Gian MerlevedeRecalibration (Metanoia), 2011 - Gian MerlevedeGlowing Throne (Above Snow Covered Fields of Mansfeld Country), 2013 - Gian Merlevede
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Copyright Artborne Erdeborn / Merlevede