Hnatysh, Walter

Symbols connect our deepest thoughts with our senses. This thesis explores the
Alchemical symbols, developed by mythical deity Hermes Trismegistus, whose symbols
remnant of geometric shapes represent the classical elements of Earth, Water, Fire and
Air. Watercolor, graphite, and gesso are my primary materials as they can be manipulated by the classical element of water. With this, I can create representations of the symbols through the language of drawing. The audience is invited to open their thoughts and all senses to the Alchemical symbols and the distinctive forms that appear from the visual mixture of the materials.

The following statement supports the investigations that culminated in the body
of sculptural work entitled “Daoist Garden”. It is an examination of the most basic
sculptural issues of form and space, and reverses the roles of prototype and
mold to give visual accounting of spaces created by curved planes. These spatial
records allude to cycles of disintegration and reconfiguration of matter on various
timelines and scales. The philosophical influence behind the work employs the
concepts of yin and yang, which relate directly to the mold/positive relationship,
and are essential to experiencing Dao, the eternally nameless underlying order of
the universe.