Earth Day 2019

Posted by Vonn

BREATH OF LIFE
“and then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and Man became a living being.” (Genesis 1:7)

 

                                       Breath of Life

On this Earth Day 2019, I share this 27 x 40-inch oil painting which was conceived with Teilhard de Chardin’s “Cosmogenesis” in mind. It makes visible how we are physically part of the Cosmos and of our Mother Earth. It is a visualization of how all things are connected in God’s creation.
It is a reminder of the crisis we find ourselves in.

We here in Puerto Rico who have lived through Hurricane Maria have seen both the most beautiful and the most destructive forces of nature. When I think of the devastation, the waste and the suffering, I lament that we humans have contributed in a significant way to this most devastating, climate crisis.

Let us meditate on this Earth Day on our connectedness to all things.
We are the conscience of planet Earth!
Lord we pray, help us to be the Stewards of your Creation as you created us to be. Amen

“Earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.” (Isaiah 24:5)

 

The World’s Greatest Challenge!

Posted by Vonn

Saving God’s Creation

The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws,
violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.    Isa 24:5

                         On Earth as it is in Heaven

ABOUT THIS PAINTING

Visualizing Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si’

 

                             Defendamos la Creación

This poster was originally designed by A.Vonn Hartung for an ecumenical conference on the environment organized by the Catholic Commission on Justice and Peace in Puerto Rico on Earth Day 1993.
The poster is interactive. Crayons were provided to the participants who purchased the posters–the proceeds of which went to the Faith-based environmental movement.
It depicts St. Francis giving thanks for Creation but he stands in a semi-polluted world. The scripture reading is from Isaiah 24:5 (“The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant”).

 

                                     Breath of Life    

ABOUT THIS PAINTING

 

 

                                                  Latter-Day Jonah

“Latter-Day Jonah” is a concept (a drawing with a paste on image of planet Earth) that speaks of the crisis that we face with climate change due to the overuse of carbons in our energy consumption and the unsustainable development that is taking place because of our predatory economic system and the technology that we have developed that is so powerful that it is threatening to destroy the natural balance of God’s creation.

The threat that we witness in the drawing is both the terrestrial devastation shown by the power of the bulldozer and the crisis we face in over-fishing and pollution of our oceans where we see a young fisherman being swallowed like Jonah by a giant fish. This is symbolic of the Awakening of consciousness that we as a species are Awakening to as scientific data is revealed to us.

This drawing in some ways is a self-portrait as I recall becoming aware of the crisis that we face as Humanity peers into and contemplates our future.

 

                                       Thorns of Christ

ABOUT THIS SCULPTURE

 

"El Jíbaro" oil portrait by AVonnHartung
                                                        El Jíbaro

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