Medium: Watercolor on paper
Date: 2019
Firstly, this is an image that I cherish more than most. It possesses a mystery and ambiguity of meaning. It poses a question but doesn’t provide an answer. It delves into what my intuitions have drawn me towards: the enigmas layered within mysteries. We’ve witnessed profound mysteries in various spiritual practices across the globe. This picture revolves around these spiritual practices.
In this image, the shaman’s expansive oval face beckons the animal, in this case, resembling a gazelle. The layers of the translucent lips portray a gentle whisper, a soft summoning that begins with, “Are you there? Are you willing to emerge and be seen by me? Which animal are you, and what can you offer?” The animal materializes amidst beams of radiant light. These rays emanate from the shaman, highlighting his intense concentration and the patience of someone waiting for an image to manifest. When the image does surface, its hue is more vivid than anything nearby. The shaman’s minute eyes squint, attempting to focus on the emerging animal figure. In the backdrop, there’s a faintly visible disapproving figure adorned with a crown.
Let’s discuss animals in art, animals with shamans, and animals as individual beings. Animals are occasionally used as symbols. They represent deities or creatures to be revered, admired for their graceful movements, piercing gazes, fierce attacks, and inherent gentleness. In many ways, they mirror us. Animals unveil the mysteries of our cosmos. They are tangible realities.
A shaman bridges the known world with the unknown. Animals often seem to dwell in both realms. Every animal can be depicted to mirror these dual realities. Most photographs of animals, and renowned paintings like Durer’s “Rabbit,” showcase their external appearance. The spiritual essence of animals has frequently been symbolized by snakes.
My depicted animal, possibly a gazelle, is conjured by the shaman. The shaman emits beams of concentration, pulling this creature from another dimension using his magical prowess. He anticipates communicating with a possibly mystical world where this animal genuinely resides. The creature is about to step into our visible world, ready to harness its innate magical abilities. The shaman has invoked an animal. Is he aware of the specific creature and the purpose of summoning a gazelle? I believe not. He’s mastered the art of concentration to beckon a life-sized animal, but I sense he’s uncertain about the outcome or his intentions for this being. Personally, I have no intentions for this animal.
Close by stands a man with a crown, his expression marred by disapproval. He seems to frown upon this practice of contacting animals from perhaps the underworld. He’s unfamiliar with this ritual. He fears losing his crown’s power. As a child, I often daydreamed. My parents would say, “Such things can’t happen!” But I’d ponder, “Perhaps they could.”
The animal is gradually materializing, not instantaneously. A certain transparency, possibly its spiritual essence, surrounds the creature. This illustration underscores imagination. As we’re aware, our universe thrives on energy. Every terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic creature comprises energy atoms. These minuscule, invisible atoms are consistent. We’re all crafted from the same essence. So, how can we continually maintain our distinct boundaries? Is it plausible for us to occasionally blur our individual confines?
HOW CAN WE DISSOLVE OUR LIMITS TO UNITE WITH OTHER ENTITIES? IF WE’RE FUNDAMENTALLY COMPOSED OF IDENTICAL ATOMS, THEN WE’RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF EVERY EXISTING ENTITY. WHAT FORM OF MAGIC DEFINES OUR BOND?
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