sopotter
World Tree Abstracted
127 x 127 cms 50” x 50” oil on stretched canvas 2007-2008
World Tree Abstracted, in its seventh stage, seeks to portray the energy of the World Tree forming and unforming, being and feeding the earth and its own later incarnations as decaying matter, birthing humanity and other creatures, and living on in spirit despite not being believed in any longer, as in deities like place have memory. This final image was intentionally envisioned—after an original meditative state of painting the World Tree that was very much appreciated and enjoyed, it was painted over consciously to try to better it—which a dissatisfaction with that second stage resulted in five progressive stages of painting over the image or supplementing it, depending on stage. During the second stage, the form of a strangler fig was added as the necessary element that would speak to the sacrificial aspect of the world tree not often explored, as well as a miniature world tree meant to be Yggdrasil, and some loosely painted “figures” in an almost waterfallish profusion meant to evoke the Mayan world tree imagery and painted in their predominant color schemes. The only leftover from the original painting is the turquoise blue on the edges where it mixes with red.
World Tree Abstracted
127 x 127 cms 50” x 50” oil on stretched canvas 2007-2008
World Tree Abstracted, in its seventh stage, seeks to portray the energy of the World Tree forming and unforming, being and feeding the earth and its own later incarnations as decaying matter, birthing humanity and other creatures, and living on in spirit despite not being believed in any longer, as in deities like place have memory. This final image was intentionally envisioned—after an original meditative state of painting the World Tree that was very much appreciated and enjoyed, it was painted over consciously to try to better it—which a dissatisfaction with that second stage resulted in five progressive stages of painting over the image or supplementing it, depending on stage. During the second stage, the form of a strangler fig was added as the necessary element that would speak to the sacrificial aspect of the world tree not often explored, as well as a miniature world tree meant to be Yggdrasil, and some loosely painted “figures” in an almost waterfallish profusion meant to evoke the Mayan world tree imagery and painted in their predominant color schemes. The only leftover from the original painting is the turquoise blue on the edges where it mixes with red.