Third Heaven

Third Heaven
a painting exhibition by Alexis Korbis

Third Heaven. And the contemporary viewer wonders – what, exactly, is the “third” heaven, and how does it differ from the first, or the second? And why third? How many heavens are there?

So, he begins to seek, to ask, to search – attempting to comprehend – in an age dismally impoverished in knowledge, symbols, rituals. For this reason, when one encounters a young artist prepared to stand stubbornly against this stream and do that which his heart requests – visually and spiritually – you can’t help but feel respect. And joy. And relief!

So, let us shed a little light here for you. “Third Heaven” is the Judeo-Christian term for that which others – Native Americans, ancient Greeks, Hindus, Tibetans… – refer to as, amongst other, “dreamtime”, “astral”, “etheric”, “akash”, “bardo” – depending on the particular spiritual system and concepts / phraseology from which they hail.

More simply put, the lowest heaven is our material, visible world. The second is a “watery” firmament of chaos and disorder. The third, invisible and non-accessible to most, is the abode of the divine and of heavenly-celestial beings – a spiritual division of the universe. Third of a total of seven, it is often considered a lower, and yet “heavenly” realm of Paradise.

Its experiencing is personal, visionary and spiritual. More importantly, and more simply, we will define that the areas of the astral are distinguished by form, colour, shape but are intangible and immaterial…without mass. And that there exists within either the attribute of recording and imprinting forever all that has ever existed, been experienced, said, thought, contemplated and so on. A somewhat known title for this particular chronicling is the “Akashic Records”.

Enough so far!

In an age which extols “objectivity” and an externally imposed “beingness”, spiritual pursuit is now being validated by the most advanced scientific thought of physicists and mathematicians, with medicine a slow and uneasy contracting party – that there is only the “subjective” in reference to the experiencing and registering of each of us. In an age of “appearances” and the pressure to a uniformity which self-proclaims itself “distinctiveness”, while divergence is almost punished. In an age where the mental is proclaimed conceptual and baptizes itself spiritual. Where the Academy and all it upholds and all to which it and its functionaries exhort – by definition “establishment”, “finite” and regressive self-designates itself Avant-Garde. In an age where so very many surrender to the pressure of marketing, uniformity and the unremarkable, it is deeply relieving to see artists who give in, finally, only to the whispers (because this is how it speaks) and the precepts of their own inner voice.

Something which is, after all, deeply and authentically artistic. Because painting, and all art, has always been an internal matter. An inner dialogue which follows a course of ‘in-out-in’, finding, in the case of painting, its visual expression / chronicling.

In Alexis’ art, the existence of ‘all’ is not negated. Simply, the occurrence of ‘other’ is suggested. Modestly, honestly, beautifully. With deep observation and detailed registration, undertaken with much love, respect and curiosity – a particular attribute of mind. One of those with render man, Human.

It requires a courageous soul to attempt to touch things “differently” in our times. In an age where increasingly more and everywhere all rush to fulfill the desires-directives of others, it is deeply reassuring to encounter people who hearken to their inner choices – their inner quests and their own sense and perception of painting and art, choice of subject matter and recording technique. Who insist modestly, firmly, quietly.

This is how Alexis insists upon and supports what is, finally, his own vision of the “beautiful” and “necessity”.

“Necessity”, then, is an absolute presupposition for the existence of anything. Necessity, which must arise from within ourselves and which in our times pressures to be imposed upon us from without, while we increasingly lose who – in truth – we are.

And so, the faces in Alexis’ works are living a unique moment, a gift. A meeting with a part of themselves ignored, but real – in a deeper and more authentic manner. Absolute requirement – their presence within their exact Now and open heart. Because, whether you see it or you simply feel it, this part of you ever comes to remind you of something. To show you something. To meet you again if you have become lost.

Our inner pursuit – the very nature of the soul, and thus of the human – is thus the only true object of life. And it can never be defined by the outside. In this work of Alexis’ it once again finds some of its pathways. Observation, elements, life, dream, silence, emotion. In Greek, sygkinisi. Which is syn (=plus) – motion. Syn…plus…which presupposes another…two…at least. Think about it.

Litsa Martzoukou