This talk addresses the origins, form, and function of the Byzantine icon from its origins in Late Antiquity to its vibrant presence in Christian worship today. The analysis draws on the writings of important spiritual and intellectual figures––Sts. John of Damascus, Theodore Stoudites, Patriarchs Germanos and Nikephoros––who supported the veneration of images during the Iconoclast crisis of the Eastern Mediterranean in the eighth and ninth centuries. Their theories continue to define the legitimacy and use of the icon today. It is in these treatises that we find the concept of the icon tied to the reproduction of a stable form that connects the external world of sensation to the internal world of imagination and memory. Sight in the Byzantine image theory is defined as the superior sense that enables a better understanding of the divine. In my talk, I will explain these processes of perception and remediation but also address the sonic aspect of icons manifested in prayer and chant. At the end, I will engage with themes such as compassion and intercession, compunction, fear and desire that run through the exhibitions and connect the traditional icons on display with the art of Ludmila Pawlowska.

KZSU conducted the interview with Ludmila Pawlowska about her training and her work, as well as the exhibit, titled "Icons in Transformation", open 1/31/2026-4/5/2026 at All Saints Palo Alto, 555 Waverley Street. https://www.asaints.org/iconsintransformationartexhibit

Welcome to All Saints' Episcopal Church! For more information about our church, or to obtain a copy of the service leaflet, please visit our website at https://www.asaints.org/

Welcome to All Saints' Episcopal Church! For more information about our church, or to obtain a copy of the service leaflet, please visit our website at https://www.asaints.org/