The Burning Bush
The Burning Bush series includes some of Clement's most iconic and recognizable works of art. The series explores the concept of being, hailing from the mysterious encounter of Moses with God at the Burning Bush in the Book of Exodus. From the Burning Bush, God reveals his personal name to Moses: אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה (I AM WHO I AM). The name, given at Moses' persistent inquiry, is as much of an answer as it is a non-answer, interpreted by countless commentators through the millennia as a statement about the very nature of God: essence, existence, being.
While the first two works in the series are traditional, framed works of art, as the series progresses, Clement celebrates the being of everything in the cosmos, including everyday objects (like glasses and a vase) symbolic of certain aspects of the interior life, all of which participate in the very nature of God.
Of all the works in his corpus of art, The Burning Bush is the most personal for Clement and is an icon of love which serves as a constant reminder of the great mystery of our being.
The Burning Bush, 2021
Not for sale
Acrylic and baby's breath on cardboard
[Dimensions here]
The Burning Bush is the original work which spawned a series of similarly-themed works. The large stem of baby's breath represents the Burning Bush in the Book of Exodus and the Tree of Israel as described in the Letter to the Romans, which now encompasses all of humankind (and the entire cosmos), blossoming and flourishing, with little daisies sprouting up around it and vivid greenery peeking through the other colors on the canvas. Each dot of paint represents a flame bursting forth from the Burning Bush, representing all things and all people who exist, who, in some mysterious way, form a chromatic and diverse unity. The three large blue dots are arranged in a triangle and represent the Holy Trinity, ever present, a God who loves us. There is a corner of the painting that is left unfinished because the story of the world is ever being renewed, still progressing toward the fullness of life and love and being.
The Burning Bush II, 2021
Not for sale
Acrylic and crepe myrtle on paper
[Dimensions here]
The Burning Bush II features angels prominently surrounding the story of The Burning Bush, a unity of Heaven and Earth. The work intends to represent that the world is, indeed, divinely-guided toward its fulfillment and that it is always under the protection of God, the source of all being. Ironically, however, the angels' faces are painted to resemble theatrical, baroque caricatures.
The Burning Bush II is a cautionary tale that eternity must not be flippantly ignored and that our works must bear good fruit for our brothers and sisters in this life, else we become a mere parody of who and what we are meant to be in the life of the world to come. Are these good angels, or are they fallen angels? The viewer may decide.
The Burning Bush III, 2021
Not for sale
Acrylic on sunglasses
[Dimensions here]
The Burning Bush IV, 2021
Not for sale
Acrylic on vase with roses
[Dimensions here]