Zonga commissioned me to do a painting of my choosing with some directives.
She supplied a couple of photos and asked that I use them for inspiration:
-Authentic peasant dresses and their embroidery/needlework, traditional patterns.
-There was a far away snapshot of a young woman holding a framed picture near some olive trees.
A few patterned eggs were among the materials.
-She sent music to listen to, and then said “have fun.”
This is the resulting painting.
Anyone care to discuss it? Its possible meaning?
Zonga would be interested in hearing conversation.
If you still want to hold her…you must not be drinking enough.
My first thought was “Starry Night”, but it’s a lot more complicated than that, and nothing is making sense at this moment. More later?Can’t tell.
Something about birth and life?
The feeling you get during a TSA shakedown.
It looks very 60’s Haight Asbury type art. It’s quite lovely.
I see this as a visual rendering of a Trump vs. Cruz debate on IOWTR. Only because every thread seems to devolve into a Trump vs. Cruz debate at some point, and I’m just going to go with the flow.
(Sorry, just in a muckraking mood today).
Peter Max? My first thought.
“Here, have some acid. Look, but don’t touch.”
It’s obviously a rendering of the ambiguity and loss of the soul in juxtaposition to the loss of the self through the world of consumerism. A woman is an egg. She makes the egg, and she IS the egg. And the picture frame is the window into the crypto-comsumercommercialization of womanhood.
The egg is the x-Ray machine and she is getting an x-Ray.
A profound statement. About what, I don’t have a friggin’ idea, but it’s a profound statement nevertheless.
It’s Mr.Pinko trying to get the courage to tell us who he is.
It’s obviously the plight of the womyn, under a fluoroscopic microscope chained in a patriarchal world surrounded by the incessant, anonymous male orgasms of an oppressive society, but separated from the egg which represents the self that she so intensely desires to be born, but must be aborted, in order that she fulfill herself in the manner that the oppressive FemiNazis have forced upon her.
I scrolled down a little further and saw “Staple gun violence”
and thought “GOOD JOB!”
I see what you did! …… juxtaposing the egg directly on her reproductive organs ….
….obviously conservative white male controlling a wombmyn’s right to be in control of her reproductive organ ….. check your privilege, you sexist, racist, homophobe!
…. & an Easter egg, at that; symbolizing hegemonic Christianity over the downtrodden workers
(channeling my inner idiot)
other than that….. looks pretty cool …. 2 thumbs up!
Reminds me of a Tim Burton background.
Interesting, Fur. Nice colors. But I’m the very last person to critique modern art. It doesn’t appeal to me, I think, because I don’t like to try to figure out what the artist had in mind. What music were you listening to?
Here is my literal interpretation:
The mannish woman is standing on a dark square of earth — she is standing apart from the rest of the scene. The surreal white leaves of the tree next to her are sperm and they are creeping down the trunk of the tree in order to tunnel under to the woman. Or they are tunneling from under the ground and “swimming” up to the tree. Or both of the “trees” are really dandelions which have gone to seed and the white diddly-daws in the sky are the seed heads of the dandelions. In which case this is a juxtaposition of late summer/early autumn and springtime (the egg). The woman holding the frame is just there to make me think there is supposed to be some profound statement being made, but she’s just there holding a frame. The egg is pretty.
And now my head hurts. That’s all I got.
If I had to give a spontaneous talk about the picture, I would mix elements of paganism, especially Egyptian mythology and Christianity in my discussion of this painting, beginning with the story of Ra.
Ra was the sun god formed not only from the cosmic egg (pointing to the egg) but also from the starry constellations, just like those in the image. Ra had four kids: two sons, Set and Osiris and two girls: Isis and Nephthys. O&I fell in love, producing Horus and I would talk about that mentioning that scholars insist that there are parallels to Jesus and Horus.
The woman who is quite Egyptian looking (okay, maybe just the hair) and is the personification of the Female Creation Principle, just like Isis. This is reinforced by the egg which is in front of her. The egg, is always a symbol of life. I would probably note the two trees; one being of the tree of good and evil and the other the tree of life (Christianity). According to Egyptian mythology, the tree of life grew out of a sacred mount, just as the one in the background. The tree of good and evil is the one from which the woman in the garden ate the fruit; just like the one in the foreground. The picture shows the gift of salvation promised to mankind as evidenced by the cross on the egg; but the mirror she holds shows the sin eating away at her body (I see bones in her upper body).
Finally, I’d probably comment on the coils in the painting: in Egypt, the snake god is Mehen, meaning coil and the spiral is again the symbol for the sun god Ra and coils represent opposites: good and evil, light and dark, earth and sky……
I know, sometimes I have way too much time on my hands.
Woman with very large Fallopian tubes.
It’s another cute babe whose thinkin “Joey … Joey … I need you” cuz she be’s wantin to be Bidin her time with Joey!
NowhatImean?
Little old, but still fertile and desirable.
The egg represents her offerin herself, her prodigy, and her succulence to Joey – da Man!
The rest is like background and shit … uhh, stuff …
It’s a BIG FUCKIN DEAL!
Two words – Global Warming
aaaaaaand the wombmyn is holding the picture frame around her ‘fun house’ parts, signifying the only parts that men care about, while ignoring her mind
(….man, if I go on like this I could end up becoming a tenured professor at some snotty, snobbish, rich, white-bread ivy league university… better get myself measured for a tweed jacket w/ elbow patches… maybe a scrawny, shrewish, birds-nested white/gray haired, high cheek-boned ‘significant other’ …. grow a scraggly beard …..bang a few co-eds to get my resume qualifications up….)
gad! I’ve been watching too many news shows!
Maw! git me my flannel shirt …. no, the one with holes in it, & my shotgun… I’m gone out & rustle us up some grub ….. where’s my chawbisnacky?
I’m curious, what size is it?
The Easter bunny is coming, just look out the window you dumbass…
Why is the squaw wearing a bacon halter top? Oh, I get it…
“Bacon and Eggs”!!!
FRILLIANT!!!
It’s a magnifying glass into the secret yearnings of Obola’s soul. His desire to be the egg-bearer and be showered in jizz, while ValJar festoons him with allegations and intimations of adequacy which he internalizes as a burning hatred of all things American which has frustrated his efforts at giving birth to a socialized nation falling into chaos, disease, and despair. Thus, the bleakness of the sky – no sun or moon to illuminate – only pale stars shuffling through the wan glow of the distant galaxies and quasars that he has been stymied, by American recalcitrance, to attain.
I know nothing of art, but some of it I can appreciate, even if it’s with some effort. This immediately strikes of Starry Night, by Van Gogh (I think?). The interpretation I leave to hippies and neo-rads.
I don’t hate it, mostly due to the neo-classical inference, but the egg confuses me. For what it’s worth, I build things big enough to require knowledge of physics on the human scale – decks, sheds, boats, houses, etc. I also build and repair computers. Both require knowledge of, and adherence to strict rules; art does not and I have no skill at forgoing rules.
Not sure about the picture frame, but I do see Palm Sunday references.
@Loco: Don Henley?
Yeah, well can you get installation disks for Windows XP?
My new computer has Windows 8 and they can shove that bullshit up their fucking asses.
All I know is that it’s a darn good thing we don’t communicate with the language of art, cuz if we did everyone would get a different meaning!
It’s a birth control ad – block those eggs and no need to worry about all that fertilizer whirling around out there lighting up the sky and trees.The music was “You’re NOT having My Baby”, not written and sung by Paul Anka.
The decorated egg is a traditional Eastern European style that pre-dates that area’s conversion to Christianity. They were given as gifts on special occasions, with different designs signifying messages appropriate for the event. It was only after the coming of Christianity in the area that these eggs became associated with Easter.
The deep history of the decorated egg and the peasant attire suggest that the woman in the picture (I’m assuming Zonga herself) strongly identifies with her family, back through generations, and to the region they came from. Ukraine? Romania?
Holding the picture the way she has it seems to me to indicate that she is hiding some part of her true nature and is presenting an idealized version to the world. This may also be related to her position in the picture. She’s very much aware of the world around her but maintains some insulating space that keeps her from being a full participant.
The rest of the items in the picture have me stumped. I can’t come up with an interpretation for the objects in the “sky” nor the objects that suggest trees. If they are indeed trees, then I have no idea what those “leaves” are doing going up or down the trunk, nor do I fathom the leaves under the tree looking like photographic negatives or even spots of light.
It is a lovely, thought-provoking painting. I like it a lot.
The style seems to be a mixture of southwest, folk and surreal influences. The archetype is Eve, the vessel of life and symbol of creativity. The trees and dark sky look as if they are in a dormant, stagnant stage and will be brought out of that stage only when the woman releases the fertile egg, which represents life. The painting seems to express great expectations and hope. BTW, very nice work.
robotlivesmatter, you may well have a second calling as a BS art critic for your local rag.
Frida Khalo goes tripping is all I’ve got.
the pale girl stands frozen
within a dark frame.
egg obscures her hips
ain’t that a shame?
It is pleasant to look upon
It is art
Otherwise I would compliment the artist’s vision of the classic struggle with the pain and burden of truth when observed next to siren song of whimsy and existence on a gestalt level
mmm chocolate
Peace ,Love, Hope and Groovy..ever lasting Olive trees represent
the branch’s for peace offering.We’ve been praying for peace since I was 6yrs old.The window frame or “screen” suggest looking out or inward but her sad face makes me think that she misses the old ways of the decorated Easter egg Ukrainian and celebration of Jesus ascension.Her posture is similar to a cross also.
That’s all I got.
That would be a great auction piece. If it goes to auction I’ll start the bid at $200.00.
You guys are really interesting. The painting is Fur’s vision, I just provided a few elements. I wanted something that was fun for him that was not a portrait.
I love the 3-D Easter egg.
Seriously joe6pak?
Fur you have my permission to auction the painting.
The symbolism of pysanky – you guys had it figured out. The dots and circles – sun, stars, Mary’s tears. Triangles – the Trinity. The cross.
http://agehringer0909.angelfire.com/PAGES/Symbols.html
So you are both voting for Burnie after all. The only thing missing was a peace sign and a doobie.
It’s pane to see, country eggs are the best.
?
Life begins at conception? Evidence of creation is everywhere?
It is a very interesting painting.
Zonga, after I posted my comment I wished I hadn’t because I know that when someone goes to the effort to create a piece of art for someone it would be more meaningful for the intended recipient than it would be for anyone else. I like the painting, I don’t know what it means, but I like it. My bid stands, but I’m not campaigning for an auction.
Seriously joe6pak,
The canvas is 16 X 20
@ Vietvet
Argh!
That was panefully bad. ?