Page 189 - Uros Todorovic Byzantine Painting Contemporary Eyes

Chapter III
spiritual experience – such as for example the theological experience that the entire Uni- verse was created by an unknown revelatory light and is in its entirety on its course towards that light. Of course, other analogous interpretations could also be offered. Judging by the overall transcendental effect, in a sense, the authors of this prehistoric painting surpass the achievements of the 20th century Modern painters, while at the same time the above described characteristics of their work can indeed be compared to the fresco of Nativity in Perivleptos shown in image 15.
Evidently, in the composition of Nativity, through the particular abstract mood rem- iniscent of prehistoric cave-painting, the transcendental content dominates over the as- pects of form and colour, as well as over the narrative nature of the theme. In this regard, this fresco manifests analogies to the abstract painting of great 20th century painters who nurtured distinct theological and philosophical aspirations, such as Vasily Kandin- sky, Kazimir Malevich and Mark Rothko.
The 20th century Modern painters mentioned in this chapter (as well as certain oth- ers) did not borrow byzantine forms nor did they make some kind of creative versions of byzantine forms. Yet, as we shall discuss more systematically in the last three chapters of this book, their work is deeply inspired by the transcendental content of Late Byzan- tine painting. Because of this, although their work does not constitute ecclesial art, the contribution of these 20th century abstract painters can even become useful in efforts towards innovation of ecclesial painting, which is undertaken in our time especially by contemporary Orthodox painters around the World. Most importantly, the aesthetic connection between the achievement of the 20th century abstract painters and the fres- coes at Mistra allows us to tangibly observe the timeless overarching unity of the human creative experience.
Through his following words written in 1964, Odysseas Elytis, a major representative of Romantic Modernism, shows to the inheritors of the byzantine tradition and to the entire world the mystagogical path towards an eschatological Mistra: “Each time I enter one of those small, half-ruined, and half-painted churches, which like rocks, remained embodied within the Greek countryside, and I get hit by the smell of the dampness of the walls, it seems that I come into immediate, almost skin contact with my kind, and it is as if I thus have the evidence that it leads back directly to Byzantium. And then, an entire world, with the mauve and gold of its decoration, is offered to me within the mystic communion. One should respect their senses greatly, and tremble in awareness of their sanctity, in order to arrive therein, from the opposites, to the very Christian outcome. But perhaps the same thing occurs in the opposite direction? Even the most secular
187