Posts Tagged ‘Symbol’

Work-In-Progress – A Detail

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Some of the details of my Work-In-Progress contain various symbols and snakes are one of them.

Some cultures hold snakes in high esteem while other cultures despised them. There are cultures that associated snakes with medicinal powers or rebirth, such as the modern medical symbol of two snakes wrapped around a staff.

The Judeo-Christian culture does not hold snakes or serpent in a kind light. The biblical tales of the Garden of Eden and the serpent’s role in “tempting woman to trick man into the fall from God’s grace” have contributed to the negative images of snakes in western culture.  This deep rooted cultural biases accounts in part for the widespread of fear and disdain of snakes.  Myths, legends, and folk tales contribute to the misinformation and add to the snake’s negative imagery.

Cultures are as valid as the people who come from them and as with all living entities, there are positive and negative aspects, snakes are no different.

The imagery of the snakes in the details of this portrait embrace the concept of healer, rebirth and revitalization.

I’m sure that this spiritual portrait will be serve as a conversation piece, dependent upon the view or viewers!

Talisman – IF

Saturday, April 4th, 2009

Masks are often used as a “talisman” in many cultures around the world. They always fascinate me, with their wealth of symbolism and ancestral markings.

At the time, I created this piece, I was trying to find a way, to merge, the body of ancestry that made me…“me”.

How does one incorporate, Portuguese, Carib, Asian and African, into one equally identifying symbol?

Living in a country, where one is identified by race, I wanted as a child, to have something, maybe a “talisman“, that I could carry. A symbol that would identify all those people that physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally made me.

Maybe, then people would see it and recognize all those parts of me, that I hold near and dear to my heart, and try not to put one identifying label on me.

I did found that “talisman“, and I did found my true self in that journey.  Art is my secret and shared talisman.

Art is where I can combine all of me and show the world, the various aspects of me in a visual and tactile way.  We all have some sort of “talisman“, I think what counts is how we use them and what we use them for.

Peace, now and forever for all.

See you next week…:)