“The Tree of Life”

The Tree of Life is a mystical diagram representing the process by which the universe was created from nothing and a path back to the creator. It comes from the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism. The Kabbalist seeks to know the universe and himself as the expression of God.

I have incorporated this spiritual symbol into a living tree. 10 Sephiroths, here represented as spheres, express aspects of the Divine, such as The Divine Crown, Wisdom, Mercy, Justice, Beauty, Glory and Eternity. Also present in the symbol are 22 Paths or Relationships linking the various Names of the Divine.

The initiation of the Creation is at the top and flows through the various Sephiroths down into the condensing of the physical universe. It is then thought that the Divine energy reverses course and begins the ascent up the Tree to the origin from whence it sprang. Each Sphere or Sephiroth is associated with a particular color representing its energy or quality.

I believe the “Tree of Life” is one among a number of inspired attempts to express the profound mysteries that are inherent in the quest to gain insight into the nature of the origins of the Universe and ourselves and perhaps the much more daunting task – the nature of the Creator that brought into being such a Creation.

Richard Quinn © 2008

Richard Quinn believes that Art is the "language" of the Unknown.

He has a distinguished record of solo exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Miami, La Jolla, Sausalito, Las Vegas and Carmel

Richard Quinn's list of corporate collectors includes such companies as: AT&T; GM; IBM; Johnson & Johnson; Lipton; Smith Barney; Prudential; Pfizer; CBS; NBC; Sealand American Savings; Christian Dior; New York Telephone; Time, Inc.; Rose Pharmaceutical; The New York Times; Holiday Inn - Time Square; Calvin Klein and UPS.

Richard was born in Ohio and studied at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the California Institute of the Arts. He is trained in theater and music as well as painting. He brings a multifaceted sensibility to his creations. His strong interest in Eastern and Western cultures are evident in the ceremonial and meditative aspects of his work.