ARTIST'S STATEMENT: This series of essays and paintings is an attempt to explore some of the religions of the world from the perspective of an artist. When I look at religious structures, I view them as attempts to form order out of the parts of our existence and create a sense of purpose and direction in our lives. My motivation in creating this series is primarily self-education and the need I feel to find more meaning and direction in my own life. In the post-industrial world, the true guidance of religion has been largely supplanted by economic designs that may or may not pay lip service...