The Earthly Paradise

“Angela Manno's recovery of the classical mystical tradition through icon painting and projection into the future with her images of the Earth from space is a profoundly creative and spiritual interpretation of our present situation. This image of the Earth from space is our new icon.” 

— Dr. Ewert Cousins, professor of theology, Fordham University; former president, American Teilhard Association

The first of her contemporary icons, The Earthly Paradise represents Manno’s departure from the traditional canon of iconographic images, choosing instead to elevate the Earth to the status of an icon.

“Because of my understanding of ecology, all of us are derivative of the Earth, and there was no icon of it. Everything came together in that icon. Not only the physical planet, which is represented by the globe and the physical atmosphere, but outside it is a halo of gold and rays, which represent the Holy Spirit in traditional iconography."

The result is a contemporary icon in which we see “the Earth having come into its fullness as a bio-spiritual entity."

Traditional

Angela Manno’s method of iconography stems from the tradition originating in the monasteries of 14th - 16th century Russia. She was trained by master iconographer Vladislav Andrejev in an ascetic process which he developed specifically for the modern mind. Manno has maintained this practice stemming from the ancient liturgical art of Byzantine-Russian iconography for more than twenty years.

Though the icon is at the very foundation of Western art, it is distinct from the religious and secular art that grew in the West both in terms of its function and development. The icon itself is an expression, in symbolic form, of the teachings of the saints, ascetics, and leaders in the Church throughout the centuries. The imagery and processes are thus not attributed to the individual genius of the artist, as is the case in Western art, but to this ancient lineage. When done according to the canon (a special set of rules governing spiritual practice and icon painting techniques), each stage, from gessoing the board to applying the final olifa (oil sealant), has a precise liturgical meaning.

Each personage or scene depicted in an icon has principles and virtues associated with it. The icon itself is used by individuals as an aid in prayer and meditation and is an integral part of the Eastern Orthodox liturgy.