This magnificent volume surveys forty years of art that is rich with spirituality, symbolism, and visual splendor. To accomplish her aims, Swartz has traveled the world, including several trips to Israel, and has incorporated ritual in her work along with such unorthodox techniques and materials as fire, reflective and alchemical substances, and soil. Her work also includes many ambitious and influential environmental installations.

BETH AMES SWARTZ follows the teachings of Carl Jung to incorporate the lessons of diverse belief systems in her life and art, among them Judaism (particularly the Kabbalah),Buddhism, Hinduism, Native American Shamanism, and the Chinese system Shen Qi, not to mention feminism. She has embraced and learned from the teachings of other artists,writers, and philosophers, as well as spiritual leaders who have guided her in the creation of art that is spiritually focused, peaceful, hopeful, and nurturing.

  James K. Ballinger, Director of the Phoenix Art Museum,writes in his Foreword: "The desert permeates the life and work of Beth Ames Swartz. She draws from its stark powerful beauty, its quiet isolation, the spirituality of its peoples, and even from the materials on its physical surface. Upon discovering the Arizona desert in i96o, this native NewYorker was drawn into its mystery and began an artistic journey that ultimately led to a parallel appreciation of the American Southwest and Israel. These two places represent her present as well as her past."

  This magnificent volume surveys forty years of art that is rich with spirituality, symbolism, and visual splendor. To accomplish her aims, Swartz has traveled the world, including several trips to Israel, and has incorporated ritual in her work along with such unorthodox techniques and materials as fire, reflective and alchemical substances, and soil. Her work also includes many ambitious and influential environmental installations.

  Reminders of Invisible Light: The Art of Beth Ames Swartz is the official publication of a major retrospective exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum, traveling to the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University. It includes texts by David S. Rubin, Curator of Visual Arts at New Orleans's Contemporary Arts Center; Arlene Raven, a leading feminist author and editor; and Eva S. Jungermann, a writer resident in Phoenix. Also featuring a Chronology, lists of Exhibitions and Collections, Bibliography, and Index, it is a comprehensive reference about a fascinating contemporary artist.

Foreword

Ritual and Transformation:An Introduction to the Art of Beth Ames Swartz

Wounding and Healing: A Story

Ruminations: An Interview with Beth Ames Swartz

Color Plates

CHRONOLOGY

EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS