Invocation Through Fabrication: Key of Solomon

2018 & 2023

Soft glass, neon, helium, argon, transformers; 8 feet 

GENERAL STATEMENT: This work is a physical meditation on the timeless spirituality of craft—a process of creation that transforms raw materials into meaningful objects. I seek meaning in the resistance of materials, negotiating between will and reality, accepting that tension within myself. In doing so, I enter a dialogue with makers across time.

Craft, throughout history, has been a means of bending reality, a pursuit of higher consciousness through alchemy, magick, and the philosophical traditions that predate modern science. From the pyramids of ancient civilizations to the Freemasons of medieval Europe, makers have sought to understand natural mysteries through creation. If magick is the art of causing change in accordance with will, then my practice is inherently magickal.

The central artwork, originally created in 2018, features a seal from the Key of Solomon, a Renaissance grimoire attributed to King Solomon—often called “The Builder” for his legendary temple. This work speaks to the alchemy of haptic creation, the transformation of self and world through deep engagement with material and process. Craft, at its core, is a sacred act—one that embodies the magic of making. As Aleister Crowley wrote, “Magick is the science and art of making change in accordance with the will.”

Returning to this work during Re-Fab (since October 2023), I have found myself reckoning with its meaning in a time of profound destruction. It has been difficult to summon creative energy amidst such loss, yet I return to the original intent: to honor the sacredness of creation. At its most divine, that is chaim—life. As both mother and artist, I am bound to the future by blood. My role as a builder is to strive for balance, for justice.

Creation—whether in magic, art, architecture, or mothering—begins with vision, an act of belief that another world is possible. That, too, is the essence of magick. The hexagram, central to this work, has spanned cultures and religions for millennia, carrying the weight of transformation and sacred power.

Statement from Instagram (2023): I revisited one of my works from 2018, featuring a seal or hexagram of Solomon from a historical grimoire (book of spells), “Key of Solomon”. Solomon is a biblical character, a Jewish king and Islamic profit, often called “The Builder” because he is said to have built the legendary Jewish temple in Jerusalem. This piece was created to speak about the inherent alchemy in haptic creation, the potential transformation of self and the world through intimate engagement with matter and process. The enlightenment of embodied flow found in craftwork, the magic of the build. “Magick is the science and art of making change in accordance to the will” - Aleister Crowley.. I’ve been deep in a stew during re-fab, which started in October [2023], intimately processing what it means to be entering into this ritual fabrication again, in this moment in time, for this institution [CJM] and with this symbolism. I don’t have all the words except: I’m coming back to this work as a completely different person in a completely different and increasingly heartbreaking and hostile world. It has been incredibly difficult to muster the creative energy to invoke the essence of this work amongst so much destruction and demise. Despite my heavy meandering thought trails, I kept coming back to the original intent of the piece - to express the sacredness of creation. Which at its most divine is chaim (life). As a mother and artist, I embody creative life forces and not only am I invested in the future, but I’m tied to it by my blood. Inherent in my role as a builder is to strive for balance = justice. Creation as a practice (magic, art, building, mothering) starts with a vision and imagination to believe that another world is possible.

MIRRORS (2018)

an exhibition with KYLE LYPKA & TYLER CROSS

Opening Reception - Saturday, September 15th 12-10pm
Showing Through - October 5, 2018
info@part2gallery.com

PRESS RELEASE:

Pt. 2 Gallery is excited to announce Mirrors, an exhibition that pairs the sculptures of Tyler Cross and Kyle Lypka, with neon glasswork by Meryl Pataky. The two bodies of work contemplate different topics, Cross and Lypka exploring continuous growth within their relationship, while Pataky’s body of work traverses the timeless human compulsion to create.

When viewed together, the show reflects two types of existential change and purpose. Cross and Lypka use their ceramic practice to compound conversations and reach consensus, while Pataky focuses her gaze on the historical use of craft to achieve a deeper understanding of herself, as she becomes part of that narrative. In the words of Kyle Lypka, “To me, Mirrors is the right word to describe what it’s like making work with another person. You end up learning more about the type of person/artist you are, or could be, when someone else is constantly bouncing your ideas back at you.” For Meryl, the mirror is her medium.

In the collaborative sense, the exhibit explores this beyond just Cross and Lypka’s collaboration, bringing in Pataky’s neon pieces and reflecting each artists’ craft into the space. Through their practice, each artist gains a better understanding of the self, their relationships with others and, of course, their mediums.

Meryl Pataky’s latest body of work for the show Mirrors is, in short, a physical meditation on the timeless spirituality of craft. This physical meditation is practiced in the form of creation, by taking materials and changing them to manifest a new object that is imbued with meaning. She finds this meaning by working with materials that provide resistance, forcing her to create a compromise between her will and reality, accepting that dichotomy within herself. In this process, she enters into a dialogue with creators that has existed for millennia.

Throughout history, this concept of craft has taken innumerable forms. From the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids, to the Pyramids of the Mayan, Toltec, and Aztec Empires, to the Freemasons of Medieval Europe, humans have attempted to gain a higher state of consciousness through the process of bending reality through the philosophical and protoscientific traditions of alchemy and magik. These somewhat forgotten practices address natural mysteries directly in their questioning, tying them closer to arts than conventional sciences. If magik is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will, then Pataky’s pursuit is magikal in nature.

The work exhibited also confronts perversions in the collective understanding of craft. In many of the aforementioned examples, most acutely the Freemasons Guild, the attainment of master status and even membership was limited to men. Pataky, being a woman, challenges this underlying assumption about womens’ competence by not only creating work and challenging herself, but also by asserting her position as Grandmaster, a title reserved for those who have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to their journey. 

The gallery is located at 1523 b Webster St. and is just blocks away from both 12th & 19th st Bart Stations. Opening receptions at pt.2: are always free and open to the public. To receive a preview of the exhibition please contact info@part2gallery.com.