Entering the Cave

Horses from Chauvet Cave

Last June I went to see the film Cave of Forgotten Dreams a documentary by Werner Herzog about the cave art of Chauvet Cave in France.  I knew when I watched this film that it affected me deeply, but I had no idea that it would be part of a catalyst that would change me.  

As I sit here on the bank of the "river" that I dragged myself out from (see last post), I have been examining my art, my life, spirituality and how they all intertwine.  It has brought me back to Chauvet Cave and the feelings that viewing the art found within evoked.  Chauvet Cave contains the earliest known cave art, but it also contains art that spans several thousand years, which means that this cave was an active creative center far longer than anything we have known.

The art inside is astounding and makes the term "primitive man" insulting and inaccurate. The work found in the cave is masterful and powerful, even when viewed on film.  These are not mere scribblings made by a child-like mind. Each stroke is sure, confident and representative of the creature it depicts.  I can only imagine what it must be like to see this work in person.  The people in the film seemed deeply moved from being in the presence of this work.

I began reading Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit by David Whitley and it is further fueling this inner change.  It is difficult to articulate what it is that is changing in me, as it takes place, but I know that is has to do with this fusion of art, life, and spirit.

We know hardly anything about the people that made this art, but it is clear that there is a powerful, spiritual element.  When I look at the paintings, I feel as though I am seeing with my heart and soul, I feel something deep within me stir and long for a connection that I have yet to fully experience.

I know that while I take in the view of the "river" from here upon the shore, while the many people surge by, I am experiencing a transformation from inside out.  My creative output is strained, but I wouldn't call it blocked.  It is like the pause one must take between a deep inhalation and the long slow exhalation. I am finding this pause, a good place to be right now.

DoAn
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Walking the Spiral: Boann

Back in 2006 I began a series of paintings inspired by Irish mythology.  I intended the paintings to explore the ancient Celtic gods and goddesses through a more modern and personal eye.  What I didn't realize was that this series would set me on a personal, spiritual journey that has forever changed my relationship to painting.   Over the next four blog posts I will share my journey, as it has unfolded so far, in relation to the painting of the first four pieces of the series.

Boann: Transformation

Boann: Transformation of a Goddess

The first painting in the series depicts the transformation of the goddess Boann into the river Boyne, after she had unwittingly released the waters from a sacred well. The creation of this painting came out of a difficult time for me emotionally.  I didn't realize at the time that my relationship to my art was taking a more spiritual path. Like Boann as she was torn limb from limb by the raging waters she released from a sacred well, I felt parts of my inner self being stripped away.  Intense feelings of sadness then rage surged through me.  Many times these emotions had no context. I couldn't make sense of what they stemmed from.  I did, however, have a sense that these emotions were connected to the collective unconscious.  There was no particular reason I came to this understanding, it was something I just knew.

In the painting Boann looks out from the canvas to the viewer, her gaze squinted.  She is looking at the physical world and the spirit world at the same time.  As she loses her body, she begins to merge with the spirit.  I also began to understand that spirit was influencing my painting process.  Once I let go, realizing that nothing was going to hold back the waves of emotion crashing upon me, I found rays of light, like those that streak down upon the Salmon of Knowledge.  Here, the Salmon holds a hazel nut from one of the sacred trees that grew around the well.  Boann's curiosity not only freed the waters of the well, but the five Salmon of knowledge which is obtained by the senses.  The Salmon, having fed on the magical nuts of the hazel trees, possessed the wisdom of the world and inadvertently brought this wisdom to mankind.

I gained a kind of wisdom as a result of this painting. I had a deeper understanding of who I was, what I needed and a clearer sense of purpose.  This kind of wisdom often can only be gained by a severe and painful stripping away of one's ego.  Boann, who had gazed into the well out of rebellion for having been barred from it, paid the ultimate price, but also evolved into something greater.  Sometimes, sacrifice is necessary for growth.  This painting taught me that great sacrifices were ahead, but they would lead me toward a deeper knowledge of myself and the path I was embarking on.

Once I completed this painting, I felt scoured clean. I was raw and open, but it was necessary in order to approach the next painting, which was leading me down into a kind of darkness I had never encountered before.

Next, The Morrigan.

DoAn
Help in the creation of art, please consider donating! Just click on the link below:
 
DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of  DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.  
Subscribe in a reader
All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.