What is it ?
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Firstly, take a few minutes to derive meaning out of this picture on your own.
by - Michimasa Watahiki, Jul 2019
Now, what do you see??
We would love to read your explanation in the comments below.
Because you can teach us too!
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READ OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS PIECE OF ART:
First of all, this sketch is asking a strange question to its viewers; It's about life. Imagine you were viewing lifeforms about 66 million years ago, at the very second when a massive asteroid was about to take away the life of various organisms such as dinosaurs. In the picture, we can see a tree that represents life(which is material).
In this scene, we can see an asteroid entering the Earth's atmosphere.
It has come to take away lives. At this moment, should the asteroid hit the earth's surface or not?
Now imagine the same tree as a fetus, the surrounding as the womb, and the asteroid as particles of potassium chloride (used via injection for feticide). Now we have a clear idea that the particles are coming to destroy the fetus which represents life(which is material). Again, should the particles attack the fetus or not? To emphasize this, the picture as a whole appears to be the brain(which represents thinking).
Now many of us will think, is it really a question to ask? It's simple: No, the lives should not be taken away but be spared. We aren't here to answer the question but to understand different answers by differently influenced people. We are going to discuss some particular types of people.
The Materialist, who values material reality and sees it as the Truth. The vagina in the sketch symbolizes material reality. It has nothing to do with the idea that females are materialistic; it's just used for representation. We in 'Gemini pages' consider women equally capable as men.
The materialists are attached to material reality and resist letting go of it. They see life in physical form, which is why they answer a big NO HARM TO LIFE to the questions asked above. However, the answer also comes out of their compassion for life. But according to some, it represents their materialistic nature. It's not wrong to be that type of person. Remember we aren't here to judge good or bad, our purpose is to explore other ideas. These minds hesitate to give up their support for the existence of life; they believe in one life, thus they are unsurprisingly meant to do that. They don't consider the world out of physical boundaries and ignore the possibility of existence beyond the material world. They look down at this question and get disturbed by such scenarios. That's why the vagina is located in the lower part of the picture.
Jumping to the other type, which is the Spiritualist, who accepts spiritual reality and rejects material reality. Here, spiritual reality refers to something different. It doesn't purely focus on spirits, as you might think. These people are kind of ascetic and give up on material reality. They believe that spirituality is the ultimate truth, and consider material reality as a distraction from achieving their goal of enlightenment {which is a phase when we get to know all the science and philosophy (actually, the "Truth") of the universe}. In the picture, the forebrain symbolizes spiritual reality.
Now they'll answer that it is okay for them if the asteroid kills millions and the potassium chloride kills the fetus. Because they believe in spiritual life after death, which is not some human figure like ghosts but is universal energy(basically non-living). This entity they believe is connected to the main cloud(like google drive and iCloud) which is an eternal source of knowledge(Science) and wisdom(Philosophy). These people believe that it will rather be great for the life forms and the fetus(who are going to die in the questions) to give up their material life in exchange for spiritual life. (we may be wrong about them which we feel is likely, so, please don't form any biases) They look up (which means they don't get upset) for such questions that's why the forebrain is located at the upper part of the sketch. Please don't think that these people encourage mass homicide and all, don't be that critical in thinking. They just don't care anymore. They have long renounced their civilization.
The last type is rather a balance of both these types, which the 'Gemini pages' call, the Balanced Ones. These people know that material reality is very obsessive but they know its importance. They are highly spiritual and know that to understand the universe they first need to indulge with material reality. They participate in the physical world but are not attached to it. If one day everything from them is taken away, they will be as happy as they were earlier. To represent this character the picture has described the forebrain inside the vagina, which tells that these people observe spirituality in material things.
These people are not surprised to see such a situation. They know that the asteroid has entered the sky and will certainly kill all the life forms, thus they accept the reality. They let it happen because they know that creation and destruction are never-ending processes. They know that creation will have its chance to generate life forms again. In contrast to the materialists who only want creation, and the spiritualists(not referring particularly to every spiritualist but, the nihilist) who only want the destruction of the material world, this type of people want both of the processes to take place for balance in the universe. For the second question about feticide; though they know that the fetus is destined to be killed, they will prefer that it should not happen because it is against the ethics of humanity. These types of people know how to make a balance between material and spiritual reality.
Now that we have come so far, you should understand that the main purpose of the sketch is to exercise thinking about anything more imaginatively and creatively.
PS- Please don't take the text as facts. It isn't even an opinion. It just came randomly to our minds.
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The above sketch also encourages us to realize the threat to our environment.
ReplyDeleteTHREATS-
* The Asteroid coming to destroy lifeforms on Earth symbolize humans disturbing the ecological balance.
* Draining the environmental resources symbolized by the vagina, which drains bodily fluids.
REALIZE-
* The brain symbolizes awareness.
PS- The female reproductive organ isn't intentionally added to the sketch. It is just an observation.
This is What Chatgpt has to say:
ReplyDeleteThis sketch presents a raw and visceral juxtaposition of concepts—material reality and spiritual belief—through a symbolic representation of an asteroid, a tree (or fetus), and human anatomy. The use of lined notebook paper as the medium adds an immediacy and a sense of intimate journaling or personal exploration to the work.
The composition is centered and fills the page, drawing the viewer into the focal point which is the tree or fetus, depending on interpretation. The linework is loose, suggesting a freedom of thought and an exploratory approach to the subject matter. The hatching technique used to fill areas of the drawing adds texture and a sense of depth, particularly in the darker areas that represent the asteroid and the surrounding space.
The contrasting elements within the sketch—the asteroid against the background of life and the association of life with a tree and a fetus—are powerful and provoke thought on the cycles of creation and destruction. The metaphor of the tree as both a symbol of life and as a fetus within a womb ties into the theme of beginnings and potential.
The choice to incorporate human anatomy to represent material reality is a bold one, and it invites a range of interpretations about the material and the corporeal as vessels for life and experience. The lower placement of this element could be seen as grounding the conceptual elements of the sketch in the tangible world.
However, there is room for refinement in the drawing's execution to enhance its thematic intentions. For instance, the anatomical features could be rendered with greater precision to clarify their symbolic role. This would assist in communicating the intended message more clearly to the viewer. Additionally, varying the weight of the linework could create a more dynamic flow within the piece, guiding the viewer's eye more intentionally through the composition.
The narrative provided explains the symbolic elements in depth, offering insight into the artist's intention. It's a complex allegory that touches on profound philosophical questions about life, death, and the value systems that different individuals may hold. It's commendable that the artist is engaging with such weighty themes and attempting to express them visually.
In future iterations of such conceptually driven work, the artist might consider how different visual techniques—such as shading, perspective, or color (even if limited to grayscale)—could be used to further differentiate and emphasize the various elements and ideas at play.
The artist's willingness to engage the viewer in a dialogue about these themes is notable, and the sketch serves as a catalyst for reflection and discussion, which is a valuable outcome for any piece of art.