Promethean
A Project...
(Click The Pic To Purchase!)
This is a departure from the usual stories that I have been telling…
The idea of this posting came through unusual sources a couple of weeks ago. I was on Facebook, and I posted a piece of art by Wilfried Sätty. Sätty was the first great influence on what was to become one of my chosen expressions of art, the collage. In the posting I related how Sätty’s work informed my art and it opened up my eyes to the Dadaist and the Surrealist School(s) and especially the art of Max Ernst.
This influence stretches back some 56 years ago to 1966, when I stumbled upon Sätty's works in a bookstore & psychedelic shop in Denver Colorado. I ended up spending money on a print of his instead of the record album I had planned to buy that week. Loving music as I do, this was a huge departure in my behavior. I made my way home and immediately put the poster up in my room.
That one act of purchasing a print and putting it up changed my aesthetics forever. My world would never return to what it had been; a fire had been lit in my mind and heart that has never been quenched since. It was a Promethean moment… all my art whether it was painting, music, collage or writing hinged on that moment of awakening. Arts and image are such valuable tools for changing consciousness one should never underestimate the effect of image and what it can evoke in a person.
My piece that you see at the top of this page is derived directly from those influences. It is a homage to Sätty's art and influence upon my consciousness to this day.
My late friend Jim Harter (one of the finest collagists that I have ever known), was a close associate and companion to Sätty. Jim & I had several discussions over the years about Satty and his influence on modern art. Good times… we discussed Sätty’s process, and in doing so found that there was shared aesthetics and approaches to collage between the 3 of us. Interesting point, when reflected on.
The focus though of this post is something along the lines of artistic process/thinking. “Promethean” worked on this piece for about 2 weeks. My process with art can be often to the point, or can meander through the fields of contemplation, self-doubt, and other subsets of the process. Meander here is the key. The wandering can be either in trying out various takes on pieces, or meandering through the halls of my consciousness, with the attending dialogue that goes with that.
When discussing art one of the major points that holds my interest is what was the inspiration behind the piece and what the philosophical underpinnings are. A good example of this would be Picasso's “Guernica”. This piece caused quite the uproar when it came out and rightly so, it was an indictment of the fascist actions of bombing civilian populations in Spain during the Spanish civil war. It stands as a testament to its time.
“Promethean” certainly is not making that grand gesture that Picasso did. What am I addressing with this piece? It is something perhaps a bit more subtle, personal, perhaps arcane? You'll recognize that “Promethean” is derived from the name of Prometheus the Titan that in the myths gave fire to mankind and was punished by the Olympians for doing so. Prometheus is closely related to the Sumerian god Enki BTW. (Enki was the keeper of the divine powers called Me, the gifts of civilization. He is often shown with the horned crown of divinity.)
Re Prometheus/Promethean: (From Wikipedia: The etymology of the theonym Prometheus is debated. The usual view is that it signifies "forethought", as that of his brother Epimetheus denotes "afterthought".
It has also been theorised that it derives from the Proto-Indo-European root that also produces the Vedic pra math, "to steal", hence pramathyu-s, "thief", cognate with "Prometheus", the thief of fire. The Vedic myth of fire's theft by Mātariśvan is an analogue to the Greek account. Pramant was the fire-drill, the tool used to create fire. The suggestion that Prometheus was in origin the human "inventor of the fire-sticks, from which fire is kindled" goes back to Diodorus Siculus in the first century BC.)
Prometheus was also said to have created humans out of clay… As I worked on “Promethean”, the process ended with a 5-day meditation. Not deliberate mind you, but I realized at the end of the process that meditation was needed to accept the piece’s final form. To the salient point(s): “Promethean” illustrates what appears to be an artist in repose, in contemplation. Above him, higher consciousness, perhaps entities, inspiration. A river flows by, with the ruins of the past before him. Several elements are at play here. I will not reveal them all, that would calcify the piece I believe. The viewer brings their own unique interpretation to the mix. This is one of the important elements to art. In the end all participate in the creation.
I would be interested in your viewpoints on the piece, if you want to share them. Comments are welcome!
While working on the piece, I decided that a music mix might be in order as well. I hope you enjoy this sonic exploration!
(Click The Pic To Listen!) This link will be up for a few days….
The Hare's Tale: Ancient... Prometheus
My blog. Exploring the story of Prometheus & Pandora, along with poetry from Anacreon, Music, Links…
Prometheus Brings Fire to Mankind -Heinrich Friedrich Fuger
Other News:
More stories coming to this venue shortly. Working on two at the present. I have been having some surgical procedures, which play havoc with the creative process… Cataract Surgery… one more to go this next week. The difference in vision is astounding.
Other bits: The offer on The Invisible College #11 with Print is still available!
(Clic The Pic to order!)
The Hasheesh Eater will soon be available again! I will post its availability here and other places…
Thanks for Reading!
Gwyllm
VERY cool, so much depth. And for some reason one can just 'feel' that gravity, as in 'the weight of things', specifically here the 'weight' of the past, is not going to get the better of us -- there is a 'window' on another, a more dimensional, world that is going to carry us, as in a flow motif, but which nonetheless we must commit to in order to partake of, a sort of magical 'call' that longs to be answered, to be fulfilled.