08 / Andromeda
2019
As part of an ongoing series, these twelve works form Andromeda. In reference to The Andromeda Constellation we have explored the stories and stars that make up this area of the cosmos as well as the history of our human relationship to it.
The constellations have held the human gaze and psyche since prehistoric times, their forms represented and their significance alluded to in every culture across the globe for thousands of years. They are relevant not only to astronomy and its sub-fields, but also to those who navigate the land and oceans or propagate agricultural crops, and all who heed the astrologer’s reckonings.
You will find the Andromeda galaxy in Northern Skies. It is the most distant object observable by the human eye at 2.5 million light years away.
The mythological story that has been central to our understanding of Andromeda centers around the sin of vanity. When queen Cassiopeia claims to be more beautiful than the aquatic Nereid goddesses, they complain to their ocean god: Poseidon. In their defense he sends out the sea monster Ketos and curses all the shores and waters of Cephus’ kingdom. The only way to lift the curse is if Andromeda, the only child of Cassiopeia and Cephus is sacrificed to the ocean. King Cephus has no choice and ties Andromeda to a rock next to the sea where she must wait for Ketos to destroy her. Luckily, she calls on Perseus to save her, defeat Ketos and in turn she marries him for his dedication and bravery.
Through the process of making these works, these stories and their alchemy have come alive to us. Patterns of ocean blue, angry red and heartbreaking beauty are revealed through an alchemical process that we believe to be magic.
In materiality, the works are made of brass and glass. Brass is a compound element of Zinc and Copper. Zinc is found within the minerals of the earth’s crust as well as small traces in ocean water and ocean air. In the human body it is responsible for our immune system and wound healing. Copper, is found in our red blood cells. There are astronomers who believe that the Earth inherited copper from a supergiant star explosion 45 billion years ago. It has since been used by some of the oldest civilizations on record. Dating back to 8700 BC.
We must get back into relation, vivid and nourishing relation with the cosmos and the universe… We are cut off from the great sources of our inward nourishment and renewal, sources which flow eternally in the universe. Vitally the human race is dying.
D.H. Lawrence
---
This series was exhibited on the 14th October 2019 at Everard Read Circa, Cape Town as part of The Space Between Us Solo Exhibition.
