magic words




 

Magic Words (after Nalungiaq)

In the very earliest time, when both people and animals lived on earth, a person could become an animal if he wanted to and an animal could become a human being. Sometimes they were people and sometimes animals and there was no difference. All spoke the same language. That was the time when words were like magic. The human mind had mysterious powers. A word spoken by chance might have strange consequences. It would suddenly come alive and what people wanted to happen could happen – all you had to do was say it. Nobody could explain this: That’s the way it was.

Shaking the Pumpkin; traditional poetry of the Indian North Americas, Jerome Rothenburg; page 41 University of New Mexico; revised edition 1991


I love this story of creation, I suppose we are always looking for the Why&How of our origin, knowing full well there aren't any answers, no easy ones anyway, perceptions shift, attitudes change, science progresses; we learn more about more leading to more questions. That's all okay, because we humans don't change much, we share stories as we have done since we could. 

Yet another Box 

This old box-frame belonged to my grandmother on papa's side , who at one point in her life helped out a lepidopterologist; this was before she got married I think, or during early marriage before having had children. The box held numerous butterflies, all pinned down with their Latin names. When gran moved to a nursing home late eighties stuff had to be moved and changed hands. I liked the frame plus butterflies as a decorative object and it has been in my possession for over thirty years. Once the butterflies had disintegrated and become dust  I used it to frame several artworks and recently decided it could serve yet another purpose: the telling of this tale. The critters appearing in my drawings are usually birds, dogs, the occasional cat, sometimes a mouse or giraffe, but butterflies hardly ever if I remember correctly. However, the butterfly-box had to have butterflies, which is why they appeared. Along the bottom are 4 wishbones, if we are making it up as we go along might as well make a wish



 


above, no glass, below with glass and moving ever so slightly (darn I was trying to make a photograph)







cloud tree inspired by Jude's 







Comments

Nancy said…
Saskia~ Such wonderful story telling! This new work holds such family history, earth history. I love the way the wings lift up, off the background, such movement! I will add that your stamping work is so right on! I always have trouble getting the letters near enough, but not on top of each other. Beauty filled work these days Sasx!
Saskia said…
stories are what connect us Nancy, something I have come to realise more and more
we need words and images to communicate, even if the message is never clearly understood we keep on trying....

went to Kara Walker exhibition yesterday, her drawings and sketches that were never made for exhibiting purposes, such a rare and personal insight into the head of an artist
Saskia said…
thankX Grace, it matters to me that folks do
CatherinE said…
Shaking the Pumpkin is one of my favorite anthologies! I love your letter stamps too. It must have taken awhile to stamp that whole text.
Saskia said…
yes it did Catherine, but not as long as I had imagined, so much happens in your head when performing a task like this, time becomes irrelevant
buysse maria said…
mooi die " letters " heel bijzonder , helemaal JOU , knuffel
Saskia said…
dag Maria, tis wonderlijk leuk werken met die letters, heb jij dat al eens geprobeerd?
buysse maria said…
Nee ,heb er zo geen , maar vind ze fantastisch , heb wel grote 5 cm op een soort foam , als ik ze niet heb doorgegeven staan ze wel ergens in een doos in de kast . beb wat met textiel bezig ( als ik geen pijn heb in de knie omgeving , dat gaat zo op en af , revalidatie gaat goed ( zegt kine ) maar pijnstillers innemen daar ben ik niet zo goed in , laat het liever wat met zachte massage voorbij gaan , dus ben daar vast nog even mee bezig ,
buysse maria said…
Ooo ik zie , ja jij doet dat met die oude typmashine ! wat ik heb is los per stuk , zo Ă©Ă©n voor Ă©Ă©n , heeft ook wel zijn charme .... beide !
Saskia said…
beterschap met knie en nee ik gebruik niet een typemachine, losse letters;-)
buysse maria said…
saskia dat is echt wel top , waardeer het !!!!

tungsten

tungsten

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