So, WHAT'S Katie up to???

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

After Cheering the Goddess.....

The show is done, and I realize that I've never published all the photos!

Phoenix Rising is a classic representation of femaleness, and embodies all the strength & power with which we endow the Goddess figure.  This beautiful bird is fearless in protecting her young from all danger. Her eyes are full of fire. When danger is too great, or as her life is threatened or nears its end, she sets her nest alight, and is consumed with it in the fiery blaze.  And then, from the ashes of her former life, she rises again in all her glory.

One of the hallmarks of the Goddess through history is Wisdom. Wisdom, as we know, isn't inherent, or instant, or instinctive.  It's garnered bit by bit through life (hopefully), and is traditionally viewed as the realm of the aged.  Historically, women have been viewed as the keepers of tribal & cultural wisdom.
The Crone is old and wrinkled.  She sits serenely beneath a tree by the water, ready to impart her bits of wisdom to any who come to her.

And here is the Crone, in a more modern iteration.  Titled "Blue Ribbon Hat", this piece is good-humoured in its depiction of aging.  Undoubtedly old, the woman sits tall and proud in her peaceful garden. She is slightly defiant....... "I may be old, but I have a new hat!"

The Iconic Patchwork is a collection of Goddess images from different cultures.  I based the tiles on actual images found in archeological sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and gave them my own twist.
The tiles are strung together with steel wire, giving the whole piece a quirky, off-kilter look which I like. Added to the bottom corners are a pair of embossed tin 'milagros' from southern Mexico.

I find early drawings & reliefs exceedingly beautiful.  The art we call 'primitive' is to me very sophisticated in its ability to capture the essence of a form with a minimum of fuss.  My ultimate goal in my work is to convey a feeling, a mood, an idea, through a shape or image that is purified down to its essence.

And one last piece for today -- a fun pair of Hittite-based figurative tiles........
And that's it for now.