Why is phoenix lore so enduring? Probably because it’s about renewal, a hope for rebirth. And as long as we have hope, we have something to claim in any circumstance we find ourselves. Also, in ancient and modern Chinese culture, the phoenix pair can often be found in the decorations for weddings or royalty, along with dragons. This is because the Chinese considered the dragon and phoenix symbolic of blissful relations between husband and wife, another common yin and yang metaphor. Other eastern symbols and the painted background of golds, reds and greens complete the feel and narrative of this strongly designed and highly composed pieces, that still embrace flowing movements and the less ridged shape of the subjects.
Original done in acrylic gel mediums, acrylic skin, gel image transfer, paint, on canvas framed in a black floater frame.
Two things I really enjoy --amazing vintage maps, and the mythology and symbolism of the phoenix. These two pieces were built around the image of the phoenix from the cartouche of the map, (seen below), featuring the province of Peking, which is the most ornate of the fifteen provincial maps in this landmark atlas of China. These maps were compiled by Father Martino Martini, an Italian Jesuit, based on Chinese sources between 1643 and 1650.
Why is phoenix lore so enduring? Probably because it’s about renewal, a hope for rebirth. And as long as we have hope, we have something to claim in any circumstance we find ourselves. Also, in ancient and modern Chinese culture, the phoenix pair can often be found in the decorations for weddings or royalty, along with dragons. This is because the Chinese considered the dragon and phoenix symbolic of blissful relations between husband and wife, another common yin and yang metaphor.
I pared this image with a crop of the 1602 Ricci Map. A Jesuit priest, Matteo Ricci arrived in China in 1583 and, with fellow Jesuit Michele Ruggieri, established the first Christian mission. Vivid descriptions of the continents, praise of the Chinese emperor, lunar charts, and scientific tables documenting the movement of the planets adorn the Ricci Map, a unique representation of East-West relations in the early 17th-century.
Other eastern symbols and the painted background of golds, reds and greens complete the feel and narrative of this strongly designed and highly composed pieces, that still embrace flowing movements and the less ridged shape of the subjects.
Acrylic: gel mediums, acrylic skin, gel image transfer, paint, on canvas.
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