Christopher Schulte (b. 1956)
Lead Me, 2008
etched and hammered copper relief on board
MOCRA collection
About the work
This scintillating work in copper is a visual interpretation of a mantra favored by Schulte:
Lead Me
from the unreal to real
from darkness to light
from death to immortality
OM, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, OM
The artist says,
This Mantra inspired the piece of Art; more so, it inspired me!
To create more than a piece of art, but create a Life!
“Lead Me” has been tattooed, in Sanskrit, on my back surrounding my Heart Chakra.
I spoke the words and their meaning (to me) while honoring my brother during his graveside eulogy.
I embrace the “Real” in life, aware of what is “Unreal.”
I choose “Light,” aware of the “Dark.”
I believe the Goodness we share while we are Alive will be passed on and transcend us to “Immortality.”.
Death is inevitable, it is how we Live our LIFE!
About the artist
Christopher Schulte (b. 1956) is a self-trained artist who began creating and expressing at the age of thirty-five with St. Louis, MO, as his home base. Encouragement, empowerment and inspiration are motivating forces in his life and art. He enjoys and expands his creative horizons through stimulation and collaborations with many artists in a variety of mediums. Since 1999 he has exhibited in solo and group shows at venues in St. Louis, Kansas City, MO, and Taos, NM. His art is found in private and public collections around the United States and internationally.
A career in art was never Schulte’s primary focus; his creative endeavors led to the conception in 2006 of The Will Flores Fund, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to serving the community through the power of “The Art of Giving.” The WFF holds an annual exhibit and fundraiser whose proceeds directly benefit a broad range of programs for the education and social well-being of children and underserved individuals within the Community.
The artist speaks
Schulte says of his work,
The mosaics and organic images that take shape in my work blend all of the fragmentary elements of my world and existence into a celebration of being, glorious happening of pattern, rhythm, color, form and balance, replete with the internal complexities that sustain and color my daily existence. . . . It is a soul-searching process that affirms and honors the pleasurable journey of living and evolving. It is my way of rejoicing in stretching beyond the borders and boundaries I was always told to maintain.
More to explore
MOCRA’s “Artful Being” series features brief videos bring together works from the MOCRA collection with music—an invitation to spend a few minutes. In this installment, Lead Me is paired with music composed and performed by Ryan Hurtgen. The videography is by David Torrence.
Museum of Contemporary Religious Art 