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wow_wow_meow_meow OP t1_iw1kfol wrote

Reply to comment by ryanpg in A Final Farewell, Me, Watercolor, Pen, Ink, and Colored Pencil, 2022 by wow_wow_meow_meow

It’s my version of the first flight of Pegasus following his birth from decapitated body of the gorgon, Medusa. My decapitated little snakes are representative of both his mother and her fate. Fleshy necks and exposed ribs are a big part of my work and style over the years. They’ve been my way of expressing sorrow and death. They originally started as specifically referencing depression and anxiety, but are now present in almost everything I make. A little nod to my past artworks and my ongoing struggles with bipolar disorder.

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ryanpg t1_iw3jl20 wrote

Thanks! I'm listening to The Origins and History of Consciousness by Neumann right now and totally forgot about Pegasus's origin, and relationship with Medusa! Funny that my take was both too literal and not literary enough at once.

The pegasus reference was too obvious to mention, but the beheading was a lost detail. I love that you reference Medusa so obliquely but in such a well integrated way. Thanks for clarifying, it makes so much sense now.

I love how you made the wings disembodied. It's a great stylistic choice, and also adds to the dreamlike feeling.

A wound in the side is a very archetypal symbol: Ares and Jesus both wounded in the side by a spear, and St Paul's "thorn in the flesh," also saint Sebastian tied to a tree pierced by arrows.

Snakes are also a very primal symbol of anxiety and threat. I can see how the death of Medusa and the subsequent birth of pegasus is allegorical to both BPD and overcoming anxiety. Well done on every level, from craftsmanship, to aesthetics, to depth of meaning.

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