CREATION CYCLE
The Creation Cycle involves seven prints which are each made of six individual copper etching plates placed and moved around in different order using a black & white colour scheme for three of the etching plates & a sepia colour scheme for the other three etching plates.
The Creation Cycle was initially thought of as a visual reflection of the creation of the universe and earth as stated in Genesis from the Hebrew Old Testament. The use of six plates can be seen as a reference to the actual six days of creation while there being seven prints in the overall schema can be seen as referencing the seven days that actually exist in the ‘creation week’ with the seventh day being the Creator’s day of rest after the completion of the cosmos and all within it including the Earth.
Yet the Creation Cycle can – by universal extension - be seen as representative of the creation themes which historically, spiritually and culturally run through every human society.
In this visual case there is also the cosmic notion of regeneration which is also a universal theme in human societies. The triune brown-sepia lighter colour bar that is at the top of the first print can be seen as intimating the original divine ‘light’ [day] that is commonly used as a descriptive of the source of creation; while the triune black bar below can be interpreted as the void or darkness [night] upon which the light enters – or impregnates – into to paradoxically bring about from such a spiritual impetus all material form into what is an original nothingness.
As for the linear criss-cross pattern of each etching plate this is the sourced from earlier prints [e.g. Synapse of the Universe] whereby it was artistically envisaged to view the synapses of the universe that that one may wish to envisage on a philosophical level ‘formulate’ the cosmos. [Also see below].
Yet, it should be admitted that – on visual terms – a pattern allows for some sensory satisfaction for the human eye while the human mind is to be sparked into initiating itself upon a mental sojourn so as to gain some understanding as to the underlying creation and regeneration principles that this seven print schema is hopefully attempting to represent.
On the matter of regeneration: it can be seen that after the first day/night print that the overall schema moves along in a clockwise direction to finally arrive at the fourth print which has night as the top bar and with day below it; the cycle then moves along in the next two prints in a counter-clockwise way to again reach the original day/night schema. It obviously reflects the ongoing passage of time on earth with day going into night and back into day and so forth; while in celestial terms there is the actual elliptical revolution of the earth around the sun with its seasons – mainly referencing the general idea of warmer and colder climes which have to do with growth and hibernation and which also relate to life and death. In many cultures both the summer and winter solstice are of equal significance and in a Neolithic structure as Stonehenge it serves the dual purpose of aligning itself with both of this significant celestial events. Yet, in mythical terms there is the common narrative of the hero’s journey which has to descend to the underworld and then return from it so as to be representative of the ongoing human [and divine] need for transformation and renewal. In Christian terms there is Jesus Christ who after the crucifixion there is the ‘harrowing of hell’ before resurrection into a new spiritual body that overcomes death and that is no longer limited by the physical bounds of this material world. Eternity ascends mortality. There are many ancient myths that follow the same regenerative narrative and, of course, it is argued that the more familiar Christian spiritual principle of ‘life from death’ emerged from older hero myth templates; while there is even the case of Homer’s Odysseus who as a living mortal on his ten-year journey back from the Trojan War also visited Hades which was necessarily initiated before his eventual victorious return to his his homeland Ithaca. All that Odysseus seemed to be facing was certain defeat, yet due to his single minded character all obstacles were defeated, even when he had to face up to the opposing force of the sea god Poseidon. Yet, even Poseidon knew that no matter how much of a hindrance he could be [ Poseidon was angered by the blinding injury inflicted on his son the Cyclops by Odysseus thus initiating his hostility] that as it was sanctioned by Zeus that Odysseus’s fate would be to eventually return to Ithaca that the Christian can also hope that no matter what tribulations lie in the way that there is also the hope that life will eventually overcome death as was the case with Jesus Christ. The human hope that regeneration can always be sought after tragedy is a lingering motivation to pursue a positive belief in a restorative future both in this life and in an after-life.
Nevertheless, the counterpoint to myth is reality and this involves in the modern setting the dichotomy* that now commonly exists between religion and science and which is ultimately reflected in the question: what is truth…?
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*A false dichotomy according to Arthur Koestler in The Sleepwalkers which he argues was only encouraged by Galileo who was belligerently defending himself against the Church in regards to the astronomical claim that the Sun – rather than the Earth – was at the centre of the then known solar system – in other words Copernicus’s heliocentric view of the Solar System that the Church had not yet made a point of friction or to publicly dispute as long as the ultimate authority of the Church was in turn not undermined or challenged by any scientific discovery; in fact, increasing astronomical research had led to better star maps which was essential for improving navigation and therefore trade. There has been the criticism that Koestler has unfairly penned an unflattering, egotistical version of Galileo who it is claimed manufactured an unnecessary squabble with the Church by actually proclaiming the ascendancy of scientific reason over theological speculation; when it was clear that biblical errors existed pertaining that the Earth was obviously not in the centre of the Solar System. It seems in Koestler’s view Galileo could have been diplomatic and allowed the possibility of the Church to integrate the heliocentric view of the Solar System on its terms so as to maintain its authority; after all, there were many within the Church who took a keen interest in scientific knowledge and were sensible enough to incorporate new discoveries without upsetting the fine balance that needed to exist between science and religion. There was the Augustine view within the Church that saw to it that human observation of the natural world can actually complement what is understood as divine revelation and although what is written down as ‘Holy Word’ is to be afforded a literal reading other avenues of theological meaning can be deduced as well such as allegorical and so forth but a an irreconcilable division between faith and reason did not exist in Augustine’s outlook but rather were two aspects of the human psyche that were actually complimentary. In regards to issues astronomical Augustus was of the view that the workings of the heavenly bodies were of secondary importance to the writers of God’s Word whose main interest was in directing human interest towards salvation which was only possible by submitting to Christ. If there is any difference between science and religion it is that the knowledge each wish to emphasises has a different purpose (a) science is interested in discerning how the Creation works while the religious emphasis is in recognizing that the world, the universe and all that exists is here because it was created by God who has also divinely set out ways in which humanity is to both perceive the Creation from God’s point of view and how to behave within the creation from God’s point of view. Yet, it seems in medieval times that both the inquiring naturalist aspirations of science and the religious aim to adhere to and uphold divine will could remain complementary to each other as long as the ultimate authority of the Holy Bible was not deliberately undermined by any scientific discovery.
Thus an alternative view of the Universe could be spoken about as long as it was understood to be a ‘hypothesis’ rather than a fact. Although unsatisfactory on a scientific level – after all the ‘hypothetical’ observations of Copernicus aided sea navigation so his discoveries certainly served an important practical purpose which would deem them more credence than merely being theoretical. Although it was said Copernicus’s solar system was mainly espoused in mathematical terms which seemed to be a specialist knowledge that was beyond the comprehension or interest of most people; thus for a long time what was seen as obscure was thus not seen as a major public challenge to the Church’s general adoption of Aristotle’s view of the universe further predicated by the argument that what was a mathematical model did not really reflect what was actual in the physical world.
A Final Circle
Michael slots in a home video to look for a community television scene of a refugee rally attended by him.
The sight of burning trees.
“What’s this?” inquires Michael.
“Some old news.” Cat tunes his guitar. “Those are the bushfires which happened when
you went up the north coast to see Lisa.”
“Yeah well there were also those bushfires soon after ringing around Sydney.” Michael was at
Bilgola beach when the Blue Mountains were ablaze the week after he had returned from visiting Lisa. That weekend he had stayed over at a friend’s place at Warriewood; the night before he had been at a small gathering of poets and artists at a house in Mona Vale. The host was a humble librarian who was a great poet. It always felt peculiar for Michael to be on the north side of Sydney; it was such foreign territory - almost what he imagined it was like to be overseas - and this time he distinctly remembers the smell of fire in the night air. He had decided next day to go for a little drive before heading home; and at Bilgola he was amazed to see ash in the water. He thought of Gregor who was up at Woodford to help a cousin ‘fireproof’ his house. There had been that walk along the rocks at the southern end of the beach drawing the ash-filled rock pools. The whiff of the fires in the air. To draw Lisa’s spirit. Lisa as ash. Lisa in the sea. This could be imagined. Lisa’s disease had contaminated her; like this ash was doing to this natural beauty. Water can cleanse the soul. Cleanse human remains. There is a unity here. A mystery. The ash of nature and human ash united. Making one omnipotent in the sea. For the sea is everywhere.
‘Thus we can be everywhere. Like God is everywhere. God and us together. Life.’
Another previous special time in this area: with Belle along the Great North Walk that went all the way to Newcastle. They had taken up the walk from the back of a house in Westleigh where they had visited an aunt of Belle’s. It had been a tea and scones morning. One of those little really polite social occasions; yet it was all comfortable enough from which Belle and Michael sat on a large sofa from which all this lush bush could be seen through two large patio glass doors. Belle would come up to her aunt’s place as a child with her parents and they would always go for a long afternoon bushwalk. The light was always very sharp and the temperature – warm but temperate – was also just right, especially when it had been a particularly harsh hot day. The trees would seem to pick up the orange hues of the late afternoon sun on all their leaves and to a child this was magical. Today, the walk would be taken much earlier and it was still very hot. However, with enough shade it would still be pleasant along the track. The aunt had laughed as she said she was too old now for a long walk; so Belle and Michael embarked on their own. There had recently been storms and Belle explained that there had been a number of spot fires due to lightning strikes. After about an hour they came to a point in the track where the way was barred by red and white tape and a sign that warned of falling trees. They had reached a burnt out area. Belle ignored the sign and took Michael to the top of a slight ridge where they got a wonderful view of a large valley. They watched several cockatoos skim across the top of the thick forest. These large birds were striking to see as their bright white bodies stood out brilliantly against the dark green canopy of the bush which was below. Belle knew that they could go down into the valley from where the walk would take on more the feel of a rainforest. When they reached the bottom they could turn back and be at the house for a late afternoon brunch before going home. It was all very much as Belle predicted; however, what remains vivid in Michael’s mind was the sudden appearance of a large number of burnt trees. There was a clearing of jagged stumps and many other trees that had been snapped in two with their thin blackened trunks angled to the ground. “Fallen angels.” He’d muttered. In this burnt-out heart of the bush there was one large black trunk surrounded by other fallen angels. “Lucifer,” remarked Michael. “We’ve walked from the first circle to the final circle without going through all that’s in between.”
“We have our whole lives for that!” laughingly yelled Belle.
MASS
When you think of ‘mass’ what do you think? Church mass
Mass graves
the human mass
the dark mass within the universe or of the dark mass in our minds or
perhaps there’s
the masses of particles
of physical existence
which makes our huge populations able to wonder about God while looking at the stars and also wonder about God after looking
at
a
massacre consider the increase
in
mass of
a falling object when that
falling object
is
a
human
being
who
has
become
a
victim
of
a
falling morality
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