House of Grandeur no.2: Dallas, TX, 48” x 48” oil on canvas, 2007

A description of heaven from the King James Bible illustrates its wealth: “…the street of the city was pure gold, as if were transparent glass.” This is only one example of a centuries old relationship between religion and earthly riches.  Abbot Suger’s 12th century call for “…attending (God) with the most precious materials we possibly can” transformed the St. Denis Cathedral into a montage of stained glass, gold and jewels, reinforcing his belief that such radiance would transcend persons’ attention from earthly concerns to heavenly matters.  This relationship is once more re-contextualized in oil paintings that use Google Earth to find a dramatic view of buildings that house American icons of self-professed morality, wealth and power.  Each iconic building is painted as reflected gold, it’s grandeur emphasized amongst the swirling map of our constructed urban environments.