Introduction

Judith Hoch, Artist & Anthropologist

Karma is a funny thing. Get attracted to something and it's because it has energy you need to use. The images that really get under my skin end up influencing my art. Do You Believe In Magick?Nietzsche said that, "We have art in order not to perish of truth." I see myself as an artist seeking balance in a time of chaos and eroded ideals.

The spontaneous, natural icons of the early Neolithic in southeastern Europe inspired Do You Believe in Magick. The woodblock prints made by artists attending witch executions in early modern Britain and Europe led to Accursed Charms, and images from my inner life of dream and contemplation were the starting point for works in Anima Mundi. Accursed CharmsThe music of Verdi inspired my own visual interpretation of the soul's journey after death in my Requiem series. The absolute soul presence of the Maori woman, Aroha Wainui, sparked the paintings and photographs of Evolution.

Pontormo, Deposition from the CrossHowever, even more than image, color is what thrills me, and my greatest inspiration often comes from oranges and reds. I was transfixed (and still am) when I first saw Pontormo's Deposition from the Cross, because of the magic of his pinks and oranges, which whirl across the canvas, opening pathways to the divine.

I look forward to meeting you through my art and wish you blessings of tranquility, health, prosperity and beauty.