The Promise of Faith

What happens when you put God/Christ in a 'box' to ordain your fears, and the deeds (physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, prejudice, hate, homophobia, and murder, to mention a few) emanating from those fears. In time, the box, which is a degenerate construct of your faith, proves too small for the devil/demon that now lies within you, and the only way it can get out, once it has awaken, is to destroy the box--your church, your faith--and you with it, only if you resist letting go, and step out into the sunshine that is God's blessings.

Christ came to teach a faith grounded in the belief in one's self and worth; which, once established, enabled man and woman to overcome any and all adversity in his or her life. Christ taught that we are spiritual beings trying to become human, rather than human beings in search of spirituality. He gently instructed those who would listen that by embracing your spiritual default you will come to a greater understanding of your relationship to God, and hence your Humanity. This embracing of one's spirit, as espoused by Jesus Christ, is the basis of Faith. "(T)the idea of "faith seeking understanding" as set forth by St. Augustine in his statement "Crede, ut intelligas" ("Believe in order that you may understand"). This statement extends beyond the sphere of religion to encompass the totality of knowledge. In essence, faith must be present in order to know anything. In other words, one must assume, believe, or have faith in the credibility of a person, place, thing, or idea in order to have a basis for knowledge." -- Wikipedia

So the promise of faith can cut both ways: it can either kill you, or set you free--depending on which master you serve.

The Vision

This is a rendering of an event that I actually experienced back in 1982, shortly after moving into my new apartment in N.E. Washington, DC. It was a haunting, intense experience that stayed with me all these years. The overall sensation was of 'Transmission'--that a message was being sent to me, from the future; a message that I am still fathoming. I now often wonder if the subsequent events in the proceeding years of my life have some connection with this 'encounter'. Since that time I have lost five of my closest friends to AIDS, and cannot help but wonder if the five young men that appeared to me that night were my friends visiting me from some other realm where the ability to move from one Dimension to another is as easy as descending a ladder. If you're wondering what they were carrying in the trays, it was neat, little squares of cornbread; making the import, let alone the impact of the vision, even more haunting, mysterious, and lasting.

A Fuller View:

Selected artwork of Walter O. Neal, Art Director, AMKA Graphics Studios

Jazz Masters Series

This is a promo piece I did last summer. The art shown are of 'straight-ahead', ledgendary jazz figures which I produced as digital art prints, and currently selling.

SHIVA

This is my 'take' on the Hindu deity, Shiva, the third deity of the Hindu triad of great gods, the Trimurti. Shiva is called the Destroyer (of evil), but has also the aspect of regeneration. As destroyer he is dark and terrible, appearing as a naked ascetic accompanied by a train of hideous demons, encircled with serpents and necklaces of skulls. As auspicious and reproductive power, he is worshipped in the form of the shivling or shiva linga (lingam). Also known as ‘Lord of the Dance’.

Tubezoid: A "Virtual" Sculpture

"Tubezoid" is an experiment in 'virtual' art sculpture, which is art composed with 3D software and videographed. Ever since the advent of virtual enabling software, architects, engineers, and some sculpturers, use this technology to bring life and 'immediacy' to their ideas as a way of winning over their respective clients. I believe this same technology can service visual and graphic design artists as well; not so much as serving as a paradigm for the actual product that is to come, but as the actual work itself!

"The Twelve Gates of Time"

The "Twelves Gates of Time" was first conceived as "static" art piece created with Bryce. After reproducing it in various textures and backgrounds, I wanted to see it animated as a gateway to different worlds. This video strives to do just that.