"Snake Mandala", by M. C. Escher
Angelina Jolie as Medusa
So, here is Angelina Jolie as Medusa. Medusa, with her writhing snake hair. This px popped into my TV monkey mind a few weeks ago as I was trying to fall asleep. While waiting for sleep, I watch the Art Chanel of my brain. Over the week, the px kept creeping into the screening room of my head. So, yes I thought, I will paint this.
But, I addressed my Muse, I do not understand the connection between Jolie and Medusa. You know that the picture should "hold together". It does not have to be rational, but it should have an irrational harmony. I like px's with somekinda meaning.
Also, I think that I should paint px that are full of light and love. Confucius say, "That which you give attention will increase." I want happiness to increase. Those snakes, they are not pleasant.
And, what, I said to my muse, is the connection between the movie star and the ancient Greek mythological woman? As usual, my Muse won this disagreement. As I painted the px, I began to see that there is a connection between Angelina and Medusa.
Angelina can vaporize bad women, evil men, robots, monsters and the living dead. BUT-- Medusa can turn anyone that looks at her into stone. Angelina, you may be bad, but Medusa is the baddest of the bad. So, I began to see the connection. Score one for the unconscious mind, or the collective unconsciousness, my muse, or what ever it is that provides the slide show of art that my mind exhibits.
Medusa, a Greek Goddess, or chthonic monster, (deities of the underworld) was, is, celebrated as a guardian and protectress. Kind of like Diana, the huntress, but more scarey. Kind of like Angelina but badder.
So, here we have women warriors. Protectors, Guardians. Kick ass females. These image help us to fight for a good life. Help us cut down, drop, any thing, or anybody, that would interfere with creating a Life of Peace, Love and Art. By bringing these images into our consciousness, we have role models for fighting for right.
To make this px I gleaned images from the web. I am omnivorously foraging the web for images that help me to express my quirky take on life. I downloaded a few images of Angelina, a few of Medusa, and about a dozen images of snakes. Two of the images illustrated hundreds of snakes all knotted together. The snakes freaked me out. Even tho I have killed snakes with a machete here in the Louisiana swamp, I downloaded so many snakes, that it was creepy. I put all the images together, via Photoshop, into what I think is a beautiful picture. I found the image by Escher towards the end of working on the px. It works beautifully as a sort of crown.
In the process of making the picture, I thought about accessing my inner protectress and guardian. I hope that you too, will find you inner warrior.
This is what Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell were talking about. Ancient myths that resonate with us, as we try to create a life, ancient times and now. The challenges of life as a human on Earth, remain the same. For all the change zooming at us at a zillion miles per hour, it is reassuring to remember that the basics never change.
Take a look at the Widipedia entry, "Medusa", to see the full story about this interesting chthonic
Goddess.
Peace, Love and Art,
Janet
