INCIPIT by Gatis Cirulis

$800.00 - Please contact 23 Sandy for current availability.
Initiation means admittance into a sacred, secret or obscure society or group, typically with a ritual. Just as book's function is to enlighten and educate, initiation's function is to reveal the sacred meaning of existence to the new generations and to help them assume the responsibility of being truly men and of participating in a community. Incipit in early medieval books can be compared to the rituals of initiation that constitute the beginnings of men within a particular culture. In tribal times, younger men were taught to hunt by elders. Until industrial revolution, transition into manhood was often associated with an apprenticeship. A father figure mentored youth and prepared him for adult life by teaching a skill to ensure future employment. There is a phenomenon of a male conflict in the contemporary society. My creative research into this topic is a visual representation of what makes a man in various cultures, what is considered sacred knowledge worth passing on.

Artist Bio

Gatis Cirulis is a painter, book artist, illustrator and graphic designer. He currently teaches graphic design at the New Mexico State University and runs a design studio. His book works explore the realm of non-verbal communication, occult subject matter and sculptural form. Materials are chosen to fit the subject matter. Digital and traditional printing techniques are employed to create the visual layers of the book. Artist books by Gatis Cirulis have been shown nationally and internationally and are in the collections of the Kinsey Institute and the Lily Library, Bloomington, IN.