SYMBOLS OF IMMORTALITY
The figure in the artwork is the Greek goddess Hebe, the daughter of Zeus and Hera, she was the cupbearer of the elixir of youth. Surrounding her is a trefoil knot, a symbol of immortality in the Celtic tradition, an endless knot with no beginning or end. Further out is an array of abstracted peacock feathers; the bird is also part of the collective set of symbols of immortality.
The looping video, once initiated, has no proper beginning and no end, it continues until it is stopped artificially, also a symbolic gesture towards the perpetual endlessness of immortality. The audio track has been specially composed by James Teej, to create a feeling of timelessness, and to craft a seamless loop of an indeterminable length.
The artist expresses the idea of immortal ideas and nearly immortal cultural treasures that exist in the psyche of people.
The work seeks to represent Antiquity and the Renaissance as part of a deeper cultural root that is still thriving despite the massive shifts in style that reshaped our cultural landscapes starting in the 20th century. Decorative arts is once again thriving, and the NeoBaroque is seeking to expand the creative possibilities that were previously limited by the need to create physically based artwork.
This piece’s style fits within Stuart Ward’s NeoBaroque series of artworks. The series, including still imagery, 3d printing, and animated works, is an exploration of the forms that create the visual style.
The artwork is a 1200×1200 x 6 second seamlessly looping video, presented as a 24s video, with audio track.