Ishtar is perhaps the most widely-known name in the Mesopotamian pantheon. In Assyrian/Babylonian/Akkadian mythology she is the goddess of love and fertility, of war and sexuality. She is the ruler of the planet Venus, and her symbol is the eight-pointed star. This symbol is no random choice: rather, it reflects the emphasis which these civilizations placed upon astronomy and the scrupulous study of the heavens. As viewed from Earth, Venus describes a five-pointed figure through its orbit (which also is the origin of the familiar pentagram): a figure which takes exactly eight years to complete its cycle, as indicated by Ishtar’s symbol.
My painting, which incorporates the Babylonian Tree of Life diagram and, of course, the eight-pointed star, takes its inspiration from the alabaster statue of Ishtar housed in the Louvre. The statue is shown wearing a metal choker, and this also is featured in my depiction of the goddess.
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteYou have an incredible site! I think the fact that you are willing to share your thoughts and insights that went into the creation of your artwork gives people, especially non-artists like myself, a rare and special glimpse into your creative process. Your artwork is truly masterful and has a tremendous depth that draws from diverse global traditions. Venus has always been a favorite planet of mine, sparkling brilliantly in the morning and evening skies. She greets me in the early morning and shines a comforting light after the skies have darkened once more. For me there is something very personal and sacred when I see her special light so I can understand the fascination by the ancients of earth's sister planet. The sacred geometry of the pentagram and the 8 pointed star is also quite interesting. I like how you placed the 8 pointed star in the heart centre (or chakra) of your figure. The origin of this light I feel is from the Source, the single all-encompassing Light of Spirit so it is very apt to have it placed in the heart!
Thank you so much, Joseph, for such an erudite comment about my art. As you surmise, my decision to superimpose the star of Venus on the heart chakra was a conscious one: both planet and chakra reflect this source of love. Venus is such a jewel in the sky. It is easy to understand the way in which the ancients must have been drawn to it, and clearly must have studied it over a considerable period of time to be able to deduce the five and eight ratios connected with it.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate what you mention about the captions which I give to my work. You might find it of interest to know that in this I am much influenced by 17th-century books known as 'emblemata' ('emblem' in this case is simply another term for 'symbol'), in which the accompanying captions which provide a written commentary to the pictures are given equal importance to the pictures themselves. It's an idea, I realize, which has long fallen out of fashion, but what is fashionable in art holds little interest for me: I'm all about communication! Thank you again for your appreciation of my work.