Art by Jeff Pender

The Mysterious


“All creation, imagination and invention are aspects of discovering the new”
Lancelot Law Whyte

Mystery is the enigmatic quality or character of something not understood. It stands as the launching pad for the imagination, and is the reason why we desire to discover…things…about the world around us. As a child I explored the woods behind my house searching under every log and every rock, looking for the unknown, the strange, the weird not knowing what I would find. A multitude of energetic butterflies would fill my stomach each time I took on a new adventure in those woods.

Searching for the unknown offers us the opportunity to explore and probe for new knowledge and insights. This mysterious void weaves its way from past to future and back again, stopping just for a moment, just long enough for the burning desire for discovery to latch hold. This cycle repeats. The ritual continues. Mystery moves. Discovery waits. It is through the ritual of personal discovery that we gain an intimate knowledge of our selves and our world. My work seeks to convey both a sense of mystery and invite discovery.

I admit to entertaining an underlying romantic notion concerning the connection between art, ritual and mystery and I am continuously fascinated by the endless possibilities of the future. I seek the bridge between what was and what will be, between stories told and one yet to be written, between past and future.
Jeff Pender