Turloughs are "disappearing" lakes, a common natural phenomona across the landscape in Ireland. I deliberately chose to depict the lake as not permanent and as a turlough to denote the illusionary idea of patriarchy and yet like a turlough how patriarchy rules by being overpowering and overcontroling, becoming a fully self absorbing state. The male figure looks to be suffering yet angry, his face suggests a bloody battle has ensued and he stands warlike and combatative against the Nature, already having conquered what he demanded be conquered. His egoic pose however suggests he's still suffering in the empty victory discovering he has somehow ostracized himself from the rest of the natural landscape around him and looks to be protesting the circumstances of his island status on the stone he stands. The more subjugated submissiveness of the female figure feels also belabored in defeat by the circumstances and yet more integrated into the reality around the scene.
There is a small sail boat to the right of the scene symbolizing hope, unity, relationship, and marriage until one realizes the little boat will run aground in a turlough that soon disappears. Love and marriage under patriachy has no future in this scene. There is a Sturm und Drang movement to the piece yet while resignation is clearly lingering, there is above a distinct clearing of the clouds and better days ahead. I want people to feel that inspite of the storminess also a wild beauty remains. This is a direct and conscious nod to William Butler Yeat and more so my admirmation for his father one of Ireland's greatest and earliest abstract expressionists Jack Butler Yeats.(Thank you Jack)
I suggest the viewer take a moment with the piece to ask themselves where the inner and outer critics as well as patriarchial shadows in particular are holding you back from experiencing a fuller expansion of your own creativity and invite you to consider what would it be like to make peace with these parts of yourself and thereby step more fully into yourself in this way.
Narcissus & Echo by the Turlough
Beyond the critic. Thank you Jack.
Title: Narcissus & Echo by the Turlough
Subtitle: Beyond the critic. Thank you Jack.
original approx. 20" x 15"/ 52cm x 38cm
acylics on wood panel
wood frame
courtesy of Massimo Tumi
2016
Works >> Narcissus & Echo By The Turlough
Narcissus & Echo by the Turlough is my abstract expressionist interpretation of the classical Roman myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses (book III) from the Augustan age. The mythical scene has been interpreted by many artists over the centuries and is typified by the Narcissus male figure looking at his reflection in a lake and to the side or in the back ground there is the female figure of Echo who looks on, caught under a curse that renders her with no voice of her own.
My reasons in creating this piece were twofold - one: to move beyond my own inner patriarchial shadows - "beyond the critic" and specifically in my struggles in overcoming this in my own artistic ouevre; and second: to reflect what I was feeling in the midst and aftermath of the collapse of my 20 year marriage.
The figures are deliberately set in the west of Ireland by a turlough, with the male figure standing upright on what looks like a stone island surrounded by the water. The woman is laying by the side of the lake and appears to blend into the water's edge and the fields behind her as if she were in full receiving of the natural landscape, part representative of Mother Nature and part representative of the discarded broken-hearted lover.
Join in...
I invite you to become part of the unfolding consciousness experience and email me about your insights/thoughts/ideas about what this artwork invokes for you.