The Meaning Behind My Lanterns
Hello my good Moons!
How are you doing?
These are the drawings I created for my upcoming gallery show Ochre Light You have already seen a few of these, but I thought it would be fun to show the whole collection and talk about what all those little gold lanterns mean throughout my recent work. <3
The piece above called Lift the Rot is largely representative of rising above the things that decay our emotional wellbeing and finding solace in the wonder of those around us and the sanctuaries we create. The little lantern, a light to guide you home even in the darkest of woods on the coldest of nights.
As you might know from a recent post, Ochre Queendom is a concept for a sculpture. The dark unicorn, one of the "characters" or, symbolic animals that appear frequently throughout my art book, is a creature wise, yet somewhat naive. Deeply strange and enigmatic but burdened by many flaws. She is often in conflict with the other characters in the book. This piece is more a tribute to her at her best, a shining beacon for the many other broken creatures of Mountaincholia
Of course you likely know my piece We Belong Elsewhere from my last post but I am not sure I described the significance of the lantern in this piece. Its symbolism here is once more linked to the concept of a guiding light helping one discover something lost from themselves. A feeling they perhaps outgrew in childhood.
As you also might recall from my last video chat, I spoke of Aestas, the crow I found dead a few years ago who inspired so much in me at the time. Being that she is often representative of the death of one thing, that opens the door to something else, I chose to draw her here with my family's beloved cabin, built by my great grandmother. The nostalgia and inspiration I have relating to this cabin runs deeply throughout much of my artwork. Losing the cabin would be incredibly painful, but as it is getting very difficult to maintain, it seems like the time might be coming to let it go. I could think of no better soul to take her, when the time comes, than Aestas the crow and much of my recent work has been a way to help me come to terms with the idea of losing her. This drawing is called At Peace with Her Pieces.
And finally of course, my dear Ivan in The Ochre Emissary carrying the guiding light itself upon his back. Though heavy it may be, it is not unlike Ivan's character to shoulder intense burdens. He has a way of not allowing me to forget the things most important to me and to remind me, with a swift bite, when I am losing sight of myself.
...
The golden lanterns, representative of the Ochre Light for which the show was named, for some, may offer a guiding glow filled with memories of our childhood selves, one of the most precious aspects of being a creator yet that one that seems to be lost to so many. Or perhaps they shine with the hypnotic déjà vu of past lives. I have always felt an intense hypnosis at the site of golden or yellow light. It always feels like it is on the verge of triggering something that I cannot quite pull from the recesses of my brain but that I frequently explore in my work.
Thank you for reading. Be well <3
~Aria
