Wow, that's amazing! The way the clouds swirl is reminiscent of van Gogh's Starry Night, and the angle of the shot is perfectly placed. The memorial itself is tastefully done, and the title is just breath-taking. Can't wait for the next :)
This memorial was made by Christina Icedreamer, aka @Icywiz on Twitter, for her passed feline.
The Spiral itself, in most cultures, is a symbol of the universe, continually expanding. The leaves that are breezed away from the tree send one's focus from right to left, but the viewer's eyes may drift in the opposite direction (left to right), from the clouds to the leaves, down the tree, to the grass. Since the direction of focus is in reverse of of an outward movement, the intention is for the gaze to finally rest upon one terminal point. Attention then focuses on the balls of yarn, which, perhaps coincidentally, match the motif of the mushrooms.
Chris explained to me that the fungus represented the name of her cat, and the fact that it was a pet that "slowly grew on [her]."
The eyes finally rest upon the grave marker, completing the helical journey.
This scene captured me for at least five minutes, and I was slightly transfixed by this memorial. The balls of yarn: domesticated innocence. The placement so close to the tree, it's hard not to notice the allusion made with the falling leaves; it reminded me of "Beauty and the Beast," the way that a plant slowly sheds as time passes. Quite similar to how a solid heart pours itself out, slowly, for someone (in this case, something) dearly missed. The plague mushrooms may have a negative connotation, but it becomes a positive, meaningful beacon in this installation.
I wanted to offer a bit more insight into the memorial for my cat. His real name was Fletcher, but we called him "Fungus," as Kevin mentioned, because "he was gray and he grew on us." Fungus was a nearly-feral cat - someone had abandoned him at the tropical botanical garden Stormy's dad worked at in the 1990s. Fletcher took up residence in a two-acre rainforest display that Mike had created from scratch and tended till the day he changed jobs. He endeared himself to Mike, following him around until finally Mike brought him home. So it was important to me to add a botanical touch. It was truly difficult to domesticate Fletcher (balls of yarn), but it was worth the effort. He had intense goose-berry green eyes, and we outfitted him with a fluorescent green name tag in case he ever ran away (colors of balls of yarn). Fletcher was part Siamese, so adding an Asian flavor to his memorial is essential.
I created my first memorial to Fletcher at my Wizard City cottage in July 2009, the month he passed away. His passing was a true shock - like most animals, especially those who have never shed their feral roots, he hid his illness until it was too late to save him. Creating the memorial brought me more comfort that I can say. I have created a memorial for him at each of Christina's homes. Thank you, Kevin, for seeing beyond what some people perceive as silly.
What is the name of the look of your boots?
ReplyDeleteI don't get it...
ReplyDeleteAh well, I never was an art person.
Wow, that's amazing! The way the clouds swirl is reminiscent of van Gogh's Starry Night, and the angle of the shot is perfectly placed. The memorial itself is tastefully done, and the title is just breath-taking. Can't wait for the next :)
ReplyDeleteAh, I see you've accomplished many fine things. The Spiral is fortunate to have you.
ReplyDeleteThis memorial was made by Christina Icedreamer, aka @Icywiz on Twitter, for her passed feline.
ReplyDeleteThe Spiral itself, in most cultures, is a symbol of the universe, continually expanding. The leaves that are breezed away from the tree send one's focus from right to left, but the viewer's eyes may drift in the opposite direction (left to right), from the clouds to the leaves, down the tree, to the grass. Since the direction of focus is in reverse of of an outward movement, the intention is for the gaze to finally rest upon one terminal point. Attention then focuses on the balls of yarn, which, perhaps coincidentally, match the motif of the mushrooms.
Chris explained to me that the fungus represented the name of her cat, and the fact that it was a pet that "slowly grew on [her]."
The eyes finally rest upon the grave marker, completing the helical journey.
This scene captured me for at least five minutes, and I was slightly transfixed by this memorial. The balls of yarn: domesticated innocence. The placement so close to the tree, it's hard not to notice the allusion made with the falling leaves; it reminded me of "Beauty and the Beast," the way that a plant slowly sheds as time passes. Quite similar to how a solid heart pours itself out, slowly, for someone (in this case, something) dearly missed. The plague mushrooms may have a negative connotation, but it becomes a positive, meaningful beacon in this installation.
I wanted to offer a bit more insight into the memorial for my cat. His real name was Fletcher, but we called him "Fungus," as Kevin mentioned, because "he was gray and he grew on us." Fungus was a nearly-feral cat - someone had abandoned him at the tropical botanical garden Stormy's dad worked at in the 1990s. Fletcher took up residence in a two-acre rainforest display that Mike had created from scratch and tended till the day he changed jobs. He endeared himself to Mike, following him around until finally Mike brought him home. So it was important to me to add a botanical touch. It was truly difficult to domesticate Fletcher (balls of yarn), but it was worth the effort. He had intense goose-berry green eyes, and we outfitted him with a fluorescent green name tag in case he ever ran away (colors of balls of yarn). Fletcher was part Siamese, so adding an Asian flavor to his memorial is essential.
ReplyDeleteI created my first memorial to Fletcher at my Wizard City cottage in July 2009, the month he passed away. His passing was a true shock - like most animals, especially those who have never shed their feral roots, he hid his illness until it was too late to save him. Creating the memorial brought me more comfort that I can say. I have created a memorial for him at each of Christina's homes. Thank you, Kevin, for seeing beyond what some people perceive as silly.