Hecate is known in many cultures and myths as the goddess of physical and spiritual gateways, of the night, and is associated in many instances with witchcraft. And feathers also, hold a power and symbolism in many cases of protection. Hecate is representative of all of these spiritual and otherworldly associations harken to the desire for the mysterious and unknown. Greer’s interpretation of archetypal and mythical beings is evident in her choice of color and representations of cyclical nature through shape and repetition of patterns and detail throughout the piece. The close attention to detail in craftsmanship gives the work a control and power that alludes to the power and, as Greer might say, danger present in the tone of the work. The time that goes into crafting such a piece is indicated through the visual delicacy of the fibers and lace-like patterns of the headdress and its individual parts. The beauty in repetition of form creates a sort of comfort that draws the viewer into and under the spell of the complexity of the headdress, and the black contrasted against pale skin creates the desire to touch. Altogether the headdress forms a backdrop for the physical embodiment of Hecate. The work’s placement in the vastness of nature is representing a sort of frame to centralize the viewer’s focus on an image of desire and power. This intention of creating desire within the viewers’ realm is what Greer may have aimed accomplish. Location creates a question within the minds of viewers as to where the ideas of darkness and lightness, desire and power, fit into the world, or if they are a gateway to another non-physical place. Viewing the work makes the viewer feel like they are having an encounter with something physically intimidating yet spiritually captivating in its beauty and intricacy. The individual circles and webs of the headdress are like pieces of a life, each a different realm, coming together to create a talisman or symbol of the nature of rebirth that occurs over and over again in one person’s life. This crossroads or tri-faced imagery is integral in descriptive myths of Hecate.
Mandy Greer’s work, while so finely handcrafted, is connected with nature and points to natural elements on a close level. This connection to nature and animalistic duality in a person is not unlike the work of artists like Kiki Smith, who also seeks to create a sense of wonder and intimacy with nature and the earth.
They both draw upon the resilience and malleability of the natural world. These ideas of the relationships between danger of the uncontrollable elements present in environment and the pleasure of giving into it and melding with it are prevalent in both artists’ works. Mandy Greer’s play on dark and light qualities in our physical and spiritual worlds asks the artworld public to understand and find the spiritual essences that can return an individual to their most natural, pleasurable, and balanced form of existence. Both artists are attempting to reconnect the viewer with the animal nature that is believed to be spiritually dormant within our bodies and minds. For Kiki Smith, the act of re-carving and reshaping wax molds of her own body, is a reflection of her multiple spiritual rebirths; by putting the time and energy into manipulating her image, she is imparting spiritual energy into a new work , giving it a life of its own.
For artists who work in a way which reflects their perceptions of their own personal spirituality or the spiritual world, the work contains evidence of repetitive physical connection with a piece, or time spent with an object or idea. Without this action of revisiting ideas and imagery the concepts of spirituality would not translate well or be reflected in the work. A prime example of this devotion to spirituality and connection to nature is in the work of Wolfgang Laib, who collects pollen from the same plant daily and later displays the physical evidence of his communion with nature as a hazy geometric installation. Artists whose work reflects the spiritual aspects of life are dependent upon the culmination between physical embodiment and spiritual representation. The element of spirituality in artworks creates a sense of mystery and ambiguity which remains an essential part of creating allure in these types of works; without a concrete meaning the artworld public may interpret the visual manifestation of spirituality in endless ways.
[1] “Honey and Lightening,” Mandy Greer Portfolio, http://mandygreer.wordpress.com/portfolio/ (accessed Feb. 10, 2012).
[2] “Kiki Smith,” last modified March 2010, http://amac43.wordpress.com/kiki-smith/
[3] “Kiki Smith,” last modified April 12, 2011, http://www.unknowninkdesign.com/blog/04/kiki-smith/
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