Interview

Nov 28

Brian Rogers

Brian was first inspired to make a lamp shortly after his wife passed. The thought came to mind to make a lamp from a log. He is a Baha'i. He believes that all art is divinely inspired. His understanding of what the Baha'i writings say about the progress of a soul after one dies made him think about what the beauty of the next stage in life might be. Although, he cannot possibly know until he passes, he thinks about how divine beauty is veiled from us while we are physically alive. He expresses this by making lamps from fallen trees. While a tree is living, we cannot see the beauty of the roots until the tree has fallen and died. He makes his lamps with tree roots to metaphorically express the divine beauty of the world of the soul.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I was first inspired to make a lamp shortly after my wife passed. The thought came to mind to make a lamp from a log.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“I am a Baha'i. I believe that all art is divinely inspired. My understanding of what the Baha'i writings say about the progress of a soul after one dies made me think about what the beauty of the next stage in life might be. Although I cannot possibly know until I pass, I think about how divine beauty is veiled from us while we are physically alive. I express this by making lamps from fallen trees. While a tree is living, we cannot see the beauty of the roots until the tree has fallen and died. I make my lamps with tree roots to metaphorically express the divine beauty of the world of the soul.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“My work is spontaneous. I make lamps dependent on inspiration. I may start a lamp and not complete it right away because I move onto making another lamp. I go with the flow.”