Artist's Statement 

"Life is a constant struggle between light and darkness, hope and despair, reality and illusion.  I believe that the arts are interpretive tools used by humanity to cope with its vast needs, and to help establish a relationship with the Universe.  Our interpretations, our choices, result in what we perceive as reality: truly, negativities such as disease, death, and decay are merely facts of life.  We can choose to wallow in the mire of our troubles, or we can opt for a positive perspective in life that leads us to hope for a better tomorrow ..... regardless of the pain ....  What lives in the heart, is what is reflected in the art."  VJR

	People of Corn (acrylic on pumice 2.5' x 3.5')	Mayan creation legend has it that the Lords had a difficult time creating humankind:  first, they tried creating humans from mud, but the creatures simply melted away in the rain, next they tried fashioning humans from sticks, but these creatures had neither spirit nor the wisdom to grant homage to the gods, so the Lords turned them into monkeys.  Finally, the Lords created humans successfully by weaving them from the richest, most precious grain: maize.
	The Eternal Battle Between Light and Darkness (acrylic on pumice 2.5' x 3.5')	The Jaguar represents the darkness with all its hidden and lurking terrors.  The spots on the Jaguar's pelt represents the stars of the night sky--the peering eyes of the 13 Lords of the underworld, Xilbaba, spying upon humankind. Kukulcan (Quetzalcuatl), the feathered serpent, represents spiritual wisdom, goodness, and the purity of the light of day.  Kukulcan's feathers symbolize the flexibility and capacity to bring about change and to transmute difficult situations into positive experiences.
	Jaguar Consuming a Human Heart (acrylic on pumice 2.5' x 3.5')	The painting depicts an anthropomorphic figure of the Jaguar consuming a human heart.  Here, the Jaguar represents the Lords of the Underworld, Xilbaba, who must feed upon human blood, the only sustenance that ensures the survival of the gods and the renewal of their creation.
	Mask of Chac-mool (acrylic on paper mache, 3' x 3', shown here on water backdrop)	Tlaloc (Aztec) or Chac-mool (Maya), was the benevolent deity of rain.  Aztec territory in the central Mexican region, and the Mayan settled Yucatan regions are known to have short rain seasons followed by long periods of drought.  Thus, the rain deity was worshiped and supplications were made to him for his life-giving gift of water.

Notes by the artist, Vincent James Richardson

"These paintings were done in a method referred to as "inpasto," that is to say that I used a spatula instead of a brush, although the acrylic-based colors you see were applied to the base with a brush.  The principal ingredient of all three pieces is volcanic pumice, coarse and medium grinds.  The pumice was brought by me from Mexico and ground by hand here in California.  The next set of paintings utilizes this method again, but this time over aluminum, for an even more pronounced three dimensional effect."

	Hope's Ascent Into the Light (acrylic over pumice and aluminum, 2.5' x 3.5')	"The idea for this painting came from two sources:  Albrech Druer's wood carving of "Christ Descending into Hell," and the anonymous renaissance carving of "Psyche Descending into Hades."  I thought it time to reverse the theme and give hope to Psyche ... it gives me a good feeling to see Hope feeling her way through the darkness, eventually seeing light at the end of her perilous climb ....  Hope's journey reflects our own life search for truth and meaning."
	Adam and Eve (acrylic over pumice and aluminum, 4' x 2.5')	"The images of Adam and Eve were inspired by Rembrandt's charcoal sketches of his studies on Biblical themes.  Of significance to me is that, here, Adam and Eve seem to be fascinated by the Tree of Knowledge even without the Snake's obvious influence ... I guess it's always been a temptation to blame someone else for our own bad choices!"
	Peacock's Heart (acrylic over pumice and aluminum, 1.5' x 2.5')	"This painting was inspired by my wife's novel, The Peacock's Stone.  The story of the Garden of Eden is echoed in the myth of the people of YAWH.  Here, Peacock waits for his heart to 'ripen' on the Tree of Life."

Who is Vincent James Richardson? 
 
 

Native Californian Vincent Richardson grew up between Los Angeles and Mexico City.  He studied art both in the US and in Mexico, and remains very much influenced by such artists as Dr. ATL and Mexican muralist artists, Diego Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros.  His love for ancient Maya culture has led him to study and travel throughout most of the Mayan world.  As well, his belief in a Universe infused with life, love, and meaning results in richly layered work.  The EarthMoonStars Gallery melds together this love of ancient wisdom with the freshness of an ongoing spiritual journey.  During the school year, Vincent is an elementary school teacher, teaching children at risk in downtown Los Angeles.  He travels and paints during school vacations with his wife, novelist Faith Richardson.

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