'The Color of Light': Jesuit artist reflects on his faith, art

Published: 2003-11-07

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Jesuit Father Marko Ivan Rupnik goes to work in chapels and churches dressed in red overalls. For a time, red also dominated his artwork, but he said maturity has brought a more balanced spectrum. While vivid reds and rich blues stand out in his mosaics at the Vatican, they are tempered with creamy earth tones and sparkling gold highlights. The results of his labors as an artist and as leader of an artistic team can be cyber-toured on the Vatican's Web site or studied in his new book, "The Color of Light." The 48-year-old Slovenian priest is director of Rome's Centro Aletti, a community of scholars and artists responsible for decorating the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. Unable to fulfill all of the requests to visit the chapel, which was dedicated in late 1999, the Vatican launched the initial stage of an online tour of the chapel in mid-October. Access to the tour is through a banner over the top of the main index on the Vatican site, www.vatican.va.

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .