Books by Paul M. Pearson
Angelic Mistakes: The Art of Thomas Merton
by Roger Lipsey, Paul M. Pearson
In the last decade of his life, while living as a hermit-monk in dialogue with the world, Thomas Merton created a body of visual art that has remained largely unknown and little studied in the nearly forty years since his death. With this book, Merton's art at last moves out of the shadows to be appreciated for what it is: a revealing expression of his state of mind and heart in the 1960s, and a visual correlative to his mature works of spiritual writing such as New Seeds of Contemplation and Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander. Roger Lipsey provides a fascinating analysis of the simple and striking images and their significance in Merton's journey. He find in them resonances with Asian calligraphy and American abstract expressionism, and relates them to the influence of Merton's wide circle of friends, which included such diverse figures as the Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain, the poet Czeslaw Milosz, the Zen scholar D. T. Suzuki, and the artist Ad Reinhardt—among many others.
But the centerpiece of the book is the art itself, presented in a portfolio of thirty-four representative pieces that reflect the changing themes and methods of Merton's work. Each is accompanied by selections from his writings from the 1960s that reflect the inward and outward territories Merton was exploring in the period when these remarkable images were created.
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Angelic Mistakes: The Art of Thomas Merton
by Roger Lipsey, Paul M. Pearson
Hermit-monk, spiritual seeker, social activist, mystic, writer, and artist - Thomas Merton was all of these during his life. As the author of numerous mature works of spiritual writing, such as The Seven Storey Mountain and New Seeds of Contemplation, Merton became best known for his intellectual writings and constant quest to understand his relationship to the divine.
During the 1960s, the last decade of his life, Merton created a body of visual art that served as a correlative to his writings. The intimate pieces reflected his personal path, revealing the inner workings of his heart and mind as he continued his search for meaning. For nearly forty years after his death, his artowrk remained largely unknown and little studied. With this book, Merton's art moves out of the shadows to be appreciated for what it is.
Noted author and art historian Dr. Roger Lipsey offers an insightful examination of the varied influences on Merton's artistic work. Asian calligraphy and American abstract expressionism both played key roles, as did Merton's wide circle of friends, including such diverse figures as the Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain, the poet Czeslaw Milosz, the Zen scholar D. T. Suzuki, and the artist Ad Reinhardt - among many others.
The centerpiece of the book is, of course, the art itself, presented in an attractive portfolio of thirty-four representative pieces, each accompanied by selections from Merton's own writings. Lipsey provides an insightful analysis of the simple yet striking images and their significance on Merton's lifelong spiritual journey.
Roger Lipsey earned a Ph.D. in the history of art at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. A direction of the parent company that publishes the journal Parabola, he has written on art and spirituality for many years. He is the author of The Spiritual in Twentieth-Century Art, now in its second edition. He livesi n Garrison, New York.
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Beholding Paradise: The Photographs of Thomas Merton
by Thomas Merton, Paul M. Pearson
Provides the reader with the only available overview of Thomas Merton’s photographs while also offering a highly accessible introduction to Merton as a photographer. Includes quotations from his writings to accompany some of the photographs, to aid readers in stopping, reflecting, and seeing. †
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