Norfolk is famous for its sunsets, the primary contributing factors being a flat landscape with an expansive sky and plenty of water laying around to refract light onto clouds. This photo was taken a few hours before the temporary (introduced in 1914) daylight saving measure of British Summer Time ends. On reflection however, the act of turning the clock back appears a singularly apt phrase to describe the present-day state of the nation.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Annunciation
Mati Klarwein's Annunciation - 1961
Like many people I was first introduced to the art-work of Mati Klarwein via an rock music album-cover. Mati Klarwein's Annunication (1961) on the cover of Santana's innovative Latin-Rock album Abraxas (1970) typifies the harmonious relationship between rock music and pop-art during the 60's and 70's. Klarwein's interpretation of the Annunciation is a highly original and theatrical art-work.
Nativity
Mati Klarwein's Nativity -1961
Recently on TV there was a programme on the Netherlands painter Hieronymus Bosch (1450- 1516) which gave specific attention to his triptych altar-piece, 'The Garden of Delights'. The presenter explained convincingly that Bosch used Van Eyck's Ghent alter-piece 'The Adoration of the Lamb' as an inspirational benchmark to surpass in technical brilliance and imagination when painting 'The Garden of Delights'. The presenter argued that Bosch expanded the whole sphere of artistic dialogue on the imagination and its contents with his triptych.
The more one studies the symbols and motifs of the collective movement of Surrealist painters, the more one recognizes and identifies quite specific traits shared with medieval painters such as Bosch. Avian imagery for example frequently features in both Surrealist painters such as Max Ernst (1891- 1976) and the English born Leonora Carrington (b. 1917 - 2011 ) as well as in Bosch's paintings.The themes of transformation and metamorphosis set in bizarre landscapes are also shared with Bosch and often painted with a trompe l' oeile brilliance by Surrealists, particularly Salvador Dali.
Mati Klarwein's paintings display a great interest in eastern spirituality, pop culture and the properties of the psychedelic ( from Gk. Psyche Soul/Mind, deloun to manifest). In his life-time Klarwein studied with the French painter Fernand Léger (1881- 1955) but it is the visionary Austrian painter Ernst Fuchs b.1930 who's said to have the strongest influence upon his creativity. Klarwein visited Tibet, India, Bali, North Africa, Turkey, Europe and America before eventually settling in New York City during the early 1960's.
Klarwein shares with Salvador Dali (1904-89) a certain technical brilliance and exquisite attention to detail, along with a complete indifference to the viewer's ability to easily comprehended his message. They both also seem to share a predilection for a large, sometimes disorientating perspective and landscape, a fondness for almost eye-watering, sharp and vivid tonal arrangements of colour, as well as an irrepressible urge to provoke and even shock the complacent viewer.
The most amazing aspect of Klarwein's 'Nativity' is its early date, displaying many motifs and paraphernalia associated with pop culture and full-blown psychedelia when in fact it originates from the very cusp of that era, 1961; Klarwein's 'Nativity' anticipates many of the hall-marks and common-places associated with psychedelia and pop-art, notably in the artistic excesses of that most ubiquitous of art-formats during the 1960's and early '70's, the rock music album-cover.
The word 'iconic' is frequently over-used and abused by many uninspired writers and media journalists these days but the figure of Jackie Onassis, depicted in 'Nativity' wearing sun-glasses upon a fan is a deserving contender for the status of 1960's iconic figure.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Labor
The statuette named Labor in the Layer monument has the most expressive portraiture of all four statuettes. With his care-worn features, gray hair and beard, engaged in digging, he is utterly Saturnine in character. One can only speculate upon the nationality of the craftsman, but I am inclined to think it's the work of a commissioned and travelling sculptor of the Northern Mannerist school, perhaps from a city based in close trading with Norwich, from Flanders or North Germany. It's only when close-up that one gets a true sense of the expressiveness of this portrait. Compare how different his face appears from a lower view-point in the photo below to this sharp angle close-up shot.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Layer Quaternity
Almost hidden from view in the church of Saint John Maddermarket Norwich there's a highly theatrical and dramatic Monument - the Layer monument, a large slab of sculptured marble in polychrome is an early seventeenth century funerary momento mori. The symbolism of its fascinating, yet enigmatic quartet of statuettes is complex, but well worth analysis.
The strictly literal-mindedness of our age, combined with the Layer monument's relative obscurity has prevented it from being identified as an art-work which utilizes esoteric symbolism. The narrow belief that the Word, in this case the moral label which accompanies each statuette, is a fully-developed definition has effectively blinded viewers from actually looking closely at each statuette.
Each of the four statuettes of the Layer Monument corresponds to a specific archetypal figure. They are Pax 'the wise ruler' here depicted treading the weapons of war underfoot, Gloria, 'the Great Mother', frequently associated with lunar imagery, Labor, 'the old man' complete with grey hair and beard, and Vanitas, 'the child/trickster' figure, not only a cherub and psychopomp of the recently deceased but also the messenger of alchemy, Mercurius, who is often depicted standing upon a Rotundum in alchemical illustrations.
Each of the four statuettes of the Layer Monument corresponds to a specific archetypal figure. They are Pax 'the wise ruler' here depicted treading the weapons of war underfoot, Gloria, 'the Great Mother', frequently associated with lunar imagery, Labor, 'the old man' complete with grey hair and beard, and Vanitas, 'the child/trickster' figure, not only a cherub and psychopomp of the recently deceased but also the messenger of alchemy, Mercurius, who is often depicted standing upon a Rotundum in alchemical illustrations.
The psychologist C.G. Jung who wrote at great length and depth upon alchemy and its symbols noted,
'the statue plays a mysterious role in ancient alchemy'. (CW14:559) and that, 'The statue stands for the inert materiality of Adam, who still needs an animating soul; it is thus a symbol for one of the main preoccupations of alchemy . (CW 14 Para 569)
'the statue plays a mysterious role in ancient alchemy'. (CW14:559) and that, 'The statue stands for the inert materiality of Adam, who still needs an animating soul; it is thus a symbol for one of the main preoccupations of alchemy . (CW 14 Para 569)
One is encouraged in interpreting the Layer Quaternio as a work which utilizes esoteric symbolism when reading C.G.Jung's observation-
An essay upon the symbolism of the Layer Monument and the intellectual history of its era can be found here.
Graybeard and boy belong together. The pair of them play a considerable role in alchemy as symbols of Mercurius. (CW 9 i:39)
Number, along with colour, is embedded deep in the human psyche as primordial of all symbols. The number four and its geometric arrangement in the form of four corners or points upon the figure X was of especial significance to C.G.Jung . He defined the quaternio thus-
The quaternity is an organizing schema par excellence, something like the crossed threads in a telescope. It is a system of coordinates that is used almost instinctively for diving up the visible surface of the earth, the course of the year, or the collection of individuals into groups, the phases of the moon, the temperaments, elements, alchemical colours, and so on. (CW 9ii. 381)
As if with the Layer Monument in view, Jung states of the quaternio -
We have then, two contrasting pairs, forming by mutual attraction a quaternio, the fourfold basis of wholeness. As the symbolism show, the pairs signify the same thing: a complexio oppositorum or uniting symbol (CW Vol 9i: 245)
Reinforcing the Layer Monument's significance as an example of a complexio oppositorum that is, a complex of opposites, Jung once more as if having the Layer monument quaternio in view remarks-
Like all archetypes, the self has a paradoxical, antinomial character. It is male and female, old man and child, powerful and helpless, large and small. The self is a true complexio oppositorum. (CW 9 i: 355)
Polarity and the union of opposites along with its resultant synergy was an essential tool of alchemical symbolism. There are numerous opposites within the Later Quaternio - Young/Old -Heaven/Earth -Male/Female, Time/Space and Pleasure/Suffering are discernable.
Just as the upper pair of Pax and Gloria represent the eternal 'heavenly' realms, so to in contradistinction the figures of Labor and Vanitas represent the temporal dimension of time in earthly existence, thus the essential co-ordinates of Time and Space may be attributed to the Quaternio. Jung explains this essential component of the quaternity thus-
In essence the four statuettes upon the two pilasters of the Layer Monument represent a highly original, profound and intriguing religious symbol. They are none other than a quaternio or four-fold whole of archetypes which represents the Self. Plexiformed in their relationship and ostensibly a product of Christian iconography, the Layer quaternio are in fact a syncretic fusion of both Christian and esoteric symbolism, a rare and important example of how the symbolism of Hermetic philosophy occasionally infiltrated and integrated with Christian iconography.
Number, along with colour, is embedded deep in the human psyche as primordial of all symbols. The number four and its geometric arrangement in the form of four corners or points upon the figure X was of especial significance to C.G.Jung . He defined the quaternio thus-
The quaternity is an organizing schema par excellence, something like the crossed threads in a telescope. It is a system of coordinates that is used almost instinctively for diving up the visible surface of the earth, the course of the year, or the collection of individuals into groups, the phases of the moon, the temperaments, elements, alchemical colours, and so on. (CW 9ii. 381)
As if with the Layer Monument in view, Jung states of the quaternio -
We have then, two contrasting pairs, forming by mutual attraction a quaternio, the fourfold basis of wholeness. As the symbolism show, the pairs signify the same thing: a complexio oppositorum or uniting symbol (CW Vol 9i: 245)
Reinforcing the Layer Monument's significance as an example of a complexio oppositorum that is, a complex of opposites, Jung once more as if having the Layer monument quaternio in view remarks-
Like all archetypes, the self has a paradoxical, antinomial character. It is male and female, old man and child, powerful and helpless, large and small. The self is a true complexio oppositorum. (CW 9 i: 355)
Polarity and the union of opposites along with its resultant synergy was an essential tool of alchemical symbolism. There are numerous opposites within the Later Quaternio - Young/Old -Heaven/Earth -Male/Female, Time/Space and Pleasure/Suffering are discernable.
Just as the upper pair of Pax and Gloria represent the eternal 'heavenly' realms, so to in contradistinction the figures of Labor and Vanitas represent the temporal dimension of time in earthly existence, thus the essential co-ordinates of Time and Space may be attributed to the Quaternio. Jung explains this essential component of the quaternity thus-
From the lapis, i.e. from alchemy, the line leads direct to the quaternio of alchemical states of aggregation, which, as we have seen, is ultimately based upon the space-time quaternio. The latter comes into the category of archetypal quaternities and proves to be an indispensable principle for organizing the sense-impressions from which the psyche receives from bodies in motion. Space and time form a psychological a priori, an aspect of the archetypal quaternity which is altogether indispensable for acquiring knowledge of physical processes. (CW Vol 9 ii: 40)
It can also be discerned that together the four statuettes of the Layer Monument correspond to a commonplace template of antiquity, the four elements. The crescent moon which Gloria stands upon is often associated with the element of Water. Pax, a Christ-like figure who closely corresponds to Sol Invinctus represents the element of Fire. It follows from the activities which the lower case pair Vanitas and Labor are engaged upon, namely blowing bubbles and digging earth, that they symbolize the two elements of Air and Earth.In essence the four statuettes upon the two pilasters of the Layer Monument represent a highly original, profound and intriguing religious symbol. They are none other than a quaternio or four-fold whole of archetypes which represents the Self. Plexiformed in their relationship and ostensibly a product of Christian iconography, the Layer quaternio are in fact a syncretic fusion of both Christian and esoteric symbolism, a rare and important example of how the symbolism of Hermetic philosophy occasionally infiltrated and integrated with Christian iconography.
Postscript 23rd Oct: The lavish production of Ken Follett's 'The Pillars of the Earth' set in Medieval England now on Channel 4, states for the synopsis of episode 2 - 'Jack's statue of the cathedral's saint has a shocking effect on the King'. One couldn't make up the timing if one tried!
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