Mexican Wedding
Since this is a recreation of the statue, I looked for what is personal about it. What it would be about if it was my painting? Most obvious are the faces. So perhaps the faces are what are important. To me many of them seem to have similar features, as if they are family or more than a family. What I think may be that they are perhaps one person at different stages of life. So the baby may be the groom and the musican and even the serene old man. Some of the women are also the same to me. The angelic entity, the bride, one mature woman in the center. This representation could then become an album containing pictures from birth through to old age. The questioning eyes are another mystery perhaps expressing some uncertainty about events in life.
The faces that I see are familiar ones.
Yahweh In Converse with Job
There seem to be three clear hearts. There are perhaps four at least. Begin with the red heart that is clearly visible on the right side. This to me looks like the remains of or evolution from what was two hearts as one. One slashed away half heart lies below the swatch of red. The other heart seems intact and healing from some wound, perhaps the blue scar.
The third heart is the dark heart near the center. It is a little misshapen and somber, gloomy or sinister in representation. The forth heart is there behind the eyes of the Yahweh. There is the large golden heart with the third dimensional mound or perhaps a third eye like that humans have in the center of the forehead. Perhaps I should look again at the hearts to see what I feel.
Eyes
A question comes up about the eyes. Are they really Yahweh's eyes? or are they eyes of some other entity? Are they the eyes that seek to understand why things are as they are? they look very familiar to me.
Oh yes, the creature that you called Donald Duck. It looks life a puffin to me; peeking out from some other secret world.
Toy Man
The toy man in the lower right, gave me the impression that this male figure was in a boat in an ocean of blue rowing toward the toy woman standing completely engrossed an intersted in the object in front of her. That object is what? Is it may be an ice-cream treat that is larger than she or is a larger than life Frozen Margarita or alcoholic beverage that she lusts after and therefore she is not at all interested or aware that the toy man is there.
Whales
These are whales or things part hidden and part visible as most things are in the world. Only what is at the surface can be seen. Again this half hidden theme is repeated. Some parts of creatures that resemble birds, flowers, insects, floating eyes are adrift in the wash of blues.
Flowers and Insects
There seem to be flowers in the mid left and in the upper mid right. Those on the left, at first seemed like large eyes peering out from some place left to the imagination. But then as I saw the mayflies or willow flies. moths and dragonflies, they appear to be perhaps flowers. Innocent, unworried, and unpretentious, gracefully occupying their quiet place. Oh, but there in front of the things that may be the eyes of Yahweh is another dragonfly seeming to be a bit of a pest to those eyes. On the other side above and left of the red heart are those swatches of green. They could be leaves. Maybe an olive branch and stray leaf; Tokens? Tokens of what? Peace? Hope? Rebirth? Of what? Prehaps a part of the whirling mass of creation and destruction.
Three Clawed Paws
There are those two paws each with three claws. The impression could be that these belong to three toed sloth. That ever so slow an unsightly creature that does so little that one can take the time to watch. A 'slothy' creature that exists but for what? Is there a hidden question of why Yahweh moves so slow and awkwardly at times. More questions then answers.
Little Woman
This can be little bit of fun.. There, just off the center, is this lovely demure innocent figure of a woman. She seems calm and unafraid. She does not struggle or exert herself against the powers of Yahweh. She is in control of her feelings not totally submissive but perhaps a source of some conflict or unexpected frustration.
Conclusion
From my view all of the items mentioned flow together to depict a search for an understanding of Yahweh and perhaps life's meaning. There seems an overall frustration with the intent of Yahweh. Images evoke a viewer to ponder the ways of Yahweh as Job questioned. Captured on canvas are events, challenges or afflictions flowing from the sky to the sea and back with half hidden meaning and purpose. I see testing, heartbreak, trials, temptations and joy of life. It is long since I read of Job's trials but if I remember correctly he asked "Why me, what does he want from me and when will my life be returned? "
Thelma Herschbach |
