Welcome to my website, that makes available for purchase exquisitely reproduced digital paintings, which are components of a lifelong multimedia project known as The Underground Cathedral (The Routes of Civilization). 

The overriding theme is an artistic exploration that I have pursued for several decades concerning what universally links humanity together in the global urban jungle: underground transportation systems. My preoccupation with this subject began with the creation of the enormous stained glass artwork seen above. What may be the largest free-standing stained glass artwork in existence, I reinterpreted the line drawings of a map of the Paris Metro as the diagram of an enormous pulsating brain. From this I became immersed over time in an evolutionary concept that began by exploring an ancient ecclesiastical light art medium, to suggest other metaphorical interpretations, followed by creating related artworks with the aid of high technology.

Such is the case of the artworks for sale on this website. 

My inspirations have continually expanded into other media, including photography, video making, sound recording, musical compositions, multimedia installations and live musical multimedia performances. The digital paintings (available here exclusively) have become fused with all of these media and elements into various means of artistic exploration and presentation, in the harmonious spirit of the architecture, stained glass, sculptures, paintings and so forth of the Great Cathedrals.

Like cathedrals, underground transportation systems are expressions of the greatest achievements of humankind, projects often entailing much longer than single lifetimes to realize. Given the endlessly senseless, tragic conflicts between cultures that have continued throughout history, it has become my lifelong preoccupation to glorify the universal truths of all cultures, which expresses greatness and the uplifting  purpose of such extraordinary accomplishments. 

In this spirit, the artworks seen on this site have undergone a transformative process over a period of over 35 years, beginning in the mid 1980s, when I had the rare opportunity to creatively explore the first architectural computer assist design (CAD) system on the commercial market, which was not intended for aesthetic purposes. Many years later I was able to extract the precious original digital files from long since shelved 5 1/4 inch floppy disks and the resulting artworks were later explored in various ways with the constant evolution of hi-tech creative tools which became available. 

AI had not yet been invented at the time that these artworks were conceived and any shortcuts that may benefit from computerized programming have been applied with an attention to accuracy and detail required surgical work or dentistry. 

Though unlike an original painting, a digital artwork can be easily reproduced, also unlike a painting, sculpture or even a limited edition print, similar to the medium of stained glass that I explored artistically for many years, these artworks have an intrinsic value, not only in the long evolutionary process I went through to create them over decades but the very means of their reproduction is of exceptional quality and is thus inherently valuable.

I have made most of these artworks available as either gorgeous glossy metal or crystal clear acrylic prints, which are costly reproductions, for good reason. I have also made a few of my artworks available on high-quality paper with the possibility of choosing various picture frames that are more inexpensive, yet with fine art quality paper and precision printing.

There is also a "gift shop" where small items printed on various media are available, similarly to the virtual version of an art museum store. 

For more in depth information about The Underground Cathedral and its various multimedia components, please refer to these two other websites:

UNDERGROUNDCATHEDRAL.COM
ABRAMSTOWER.COM

- Frederick Abrams