Sunday, February 28, 2010

LITTLE SPIRIT PEOPLE/ kakinim from the lore of the maidu indians/ AN ABSTRACT WORK OF ART BASED ON A STUDY OF PREHISTORIC CALIFORNIA ROCK ART: PICTOGRAPHS AND PETROGLYPHS




    Little Spirit People
    1984
    by Eric Whollem
    watercolor and wax resist on paper
    Collection of the artist.
    9" x 6"
         Copyright by the artist.

Kakinimkodom

The Maidu Indians of Northern California divide their heavenworlds
into three zones. Kakinimkodom, the country of the spirits, is the
highest level.

In this image I depict images of Aki, the duck, and the waters of
Supi Poboku. Supi Poboku is the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
Aki is the highest spirit in the Hesi Dance Cycle of the Kuksu Secret
Society.

This imagre is from my own imagination, but derives stylistically from
the pictographic rock art of so-called prehistoric California.

See my posts about the Maidu Indians on this link:

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Abstract art, mixed media painting, pictographs, rock art, Maidu Indian lore.
FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION.

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PICTOGRAPHIC EXPLICATIONS/ a figurative abstraction




   Pictographic Explications
   1985
   by EricWhollem
   gouache and wax resist on paper
   Collection of the artist.
   9" x 6"
       Copyright by the artist.




FLICKERING SPIRIT DARK/ a contemporary vision of california indian rock art

                 


     Flickering Spirit Dark
    1984
    by Eric Whollem
    watercolor and wax resist on paper
    Collection of the artist.
    9" x 6"
        Copyright by the artist.


POLARITY CALIFORNIA/ watercolor and wax resist on paper/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION

                                           



                                             
                                                  Polarity California
                                                  1984
                                                  by Eric Whollem
                                                  watercolor and wax resist on paper
                                                  Collection of the artist.
                                                  6" x 9"
                                                       Copyright by the artist.

THE LION'S CAVE/ wax and plastic emulsion resist on paper/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION




      The Lion's Cave
      1985
      by Eric Whollem
      watercolor and plastic emulsion & wax resist on paper
      Collection of the artist.
      9" x 6"
           Copyright by the artist.

______________________

See my image gallery of PAINTINGS:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


THE VIDEO
BELOW SHOWS MORE OF MY
ART

ERIC WHOLLEM                                

MOUNTAINS OF THE PRIMAL MERCURY/ an alchemical landscape/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION

   



     Mountains of the Primal Mercury
     1985
     by Eric Whollem
     gouache and wax resist on paper
     Collection of the artist.
     9" x 6"
        Copyright by the artist.


Saturday, February 27, 2010

ANGULARITY/ a geometric abstraction influenced by native american art/ PICTOGRAPHS




                                                  Angularity
                                                  1980
                                                  by Eric Whollem
                                                  earth paints, polyvinyl resin, acrylic and watercolor
                                                      on paper
                                                 Collection of the artist.
                                                 7 3/8" x 10 1/16"
                                                   Copyright by the artist.

NATIVE AMERICAN PICTOGRAPHIC ART

For many years I have been a student of American Indian
rock art. Also pottery design and pictographic images
painted on rawhide have been of immense interest to me.

I am not Native American, but have lived in close proximity
to Indian families--notably of the Concow Maidu Indains
of Butte County, California.

__________________

View my posts on the MAIDU INDIANS on this link:

See my posts on FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION here:

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BLUE JUNGLE/ an abstract gouache and wax resist




             Blue Jungle
             1986
             by Eric Whollem
             gouache and wax resist on paper
             Collection of the artist.
             9" x 6"
                    Copyright by the artist.


SQUARED FORMS/ a geometric abstraction utilizing raw natural earth pigments




                                                Squared Forms
                                                1981
                                                by Eric Whollem
                                                earth pigments and watercolor in polyvinyl resin on paper
                                                Collection of the artist.
                                                4 1/16" x 5 5/16"
                                                   Copyright by the artist.

OVOID SNAPS/ earth paints and watercolor in polyvinyl resin on paper




                                                 Ovoid Snaps
                                                 1981
                                                 by Eric Whollem
                                                 watercolor, polyvinyl resin and raw earth on paper
                                                 4" x 5 5/16"
                                                 Collection of the artist.
                                                     Copyright by the artist.
 

SCRIPT OF THE SEA/ a pictographic mixed media abstraction




              Script of the Sea
              1998
              by Eric Whollem
              oil stick, casein, parafin, gouache and India ink on paper
              Collection of the artist.
              Copyright by the artist.
  
An Evocation of the Ocean

I painted this work near the Pacific Ocean. I was doing an art
show in Mendocino, but travelled northwards to the tide pools
near Fort Bragg.

This is a good example of the utilization of the pictographic
rock art of California Indians in a work of modern art.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

KORE/ a figurative ceramic sculpture by eric whollem





                                              
                                                   Kore
                                                   2007
                                                   by Eric Whollem
                                                   oxides on white clay
                                                   Collection of the artist.
                                                   9 3/4"
                                                        Photo copyright by the artist.      

The Greek Kore

Kore means maiden in Greek. Images of a maiden,
usually with her feet close together are commonly
seen in the archaic art of Greece. The maiden was
a perfect symbol for use in allegories of the Goddess
and Nature.

____________________

Ceramic Sculpture Video by Whollem                       

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THE BOAT OF STARWHALE/ the goddess Atargatis/ CERAMIC SCULPTURE




                                          
                                               The Boat of Starwhale
                                               2002
                                               by Eric Whollem
                                               oxides on white earthenware with flax cord
                                               Collection of the artist.

                                                     Photo copyright by the artist.

The Iconography of Atargatis

Here we have a sculpture of the Near Eastern Goddess Atargatis,
shown in an imaginative format: sailing her ship, bearing the offering
plate for grain. She was a Goddess of the harvest. She ruled the
Zodiac as Goddess of Fortune. She corresponds to the Empress of
Tarot. Traditionally Atargatis is seen with an eagle on her head.
The boat in this sculpture is loosely based on Phoenician ship
design. Usually Phoenician craft had horses' heads at the bow,
while the stern is designed to look like a fish tail. The sailing
vessels were intended to evoke the seahorse. The horse is
a traditional symbol of the power of the tides.

Atargatis was worshipped in Syria and in Palestine by the
Nabatean peoples originally. The Nabateans were those desert
folk who were related to the Mesopotamian cultures to the east.

Atargatis is related to Derceto, the Starwhale, the mother of Ea,
the Mesopotamian god of wisdom.


THE PHOENICIANS

Phoenicia could be called alternatively Philistia or Palestine.
They developed the first phonetic alphabet, based originally on
Egyptian hieroglyphs. The word, phonetic, derives directly from
the word, Phoenician.

The Phoenicians were a polyglot people, which is to say their
language was an amalgam of a variety of languages. Polyglot
peoples are formed where diverse cultures conmingle. The
Phoenicians were great seafarers, traders, and explorers.



PHOENICIAN EXPLORATIONS
Barry Fell, in his book, America, B.C. gives a good account
of theories of Phoenician contacts in the Americas long before
Columbus or the Vikings.

Phoenicians were known to have explored the coast of Africa
long before other nations in the Mediterranean.

They established the Carthagenian civilization, which nearly
conquered the Roman Empire under General Hannibal, who
led armies with Elephants into Italy.



The Boat of Starwhale
2002
by Eric Whollem
Photo copyright by the artist.


See more of my sculpture
on the video below:

ERIC WHOLLEM                                      

This link will take you to more posts of CERAMIC SCULPTURE:

BELOW ARE A FEW
RELATED
CERAMIC
CREATIONS
(Photos coypyright
by the artist)

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE


ATARGATIS
earth paints on terracotta
Eric Whollem


BOAT OF THE ARGONAUTS
oxides on whilte clay
Eric Whollem

NEREID
oxides on white clay
Eric Whollem



BOAT OF THE GODDESS
The Empire of Amphora
a faux postage stamp
by Eric Whollem

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Anthropology, mythology, mermaids.

MERMAID/ gouache and wax resist on paper/ FIGURATIVE ABSTRACTION

                                 


                                        Mermaid
                                        1983
                                        by Eric Whollem
                                        gouache and wax resist on paper
                                        Collection of the artist
                                        9" x 6"
                                           Copyright by the artist
  

Monday, February 22, 2010

THE SEAHORSE KING/ a cinderella stamp from the micronation of Amphora




"THE SEAHORSE KING"
Empire of Amphora
Amphoran Postal Union
2001
by Eric Whollem
edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs
48 x 79 mm.
Copyright by the artist.

A Ceramic Wallpiece Featured on
a Fantasy Stamp From Amphora

I created the sculpture seen on this stamp in the early
1990's. It is one of a series of seahorse sculptures. No
molds are used in the creation of my sculptures, which
are one of a kind.

______________

Readers interested in my Cinderella Stamps should look at: 

Those interested in Mermaid Art should view these links to my aquatic posts:

If your general interest is in my Ceramic Sculpture see:

SEAHORSE FANTASY STAMPS FROM AMPHORA/ Ceramic Sculpture/ Photo Collage





"AMPHORAN SEA HORSE"
2001
Empire of Amphora
by Eric Whollem
edition of 100, plus ten artist's proofs
Copyright by the artist.

A Seahorse Stamp From the Continent of Amphora

This stamp, constructed by a collage of photos, including
one of a ceramic sculpture of a seahorse, stands as a
portrayal of Voltumna, the seahorse god of the ancient
Etruscan culture of Italy.

FONT OF VOLTUMNA/ a figurative ceramic sculpture celebrating the seahorse art of the ancient Etruscans




                               
                                    The Font of Voltumna
                                    1999
                                    by Eric Whollem
                                    oxides, earth pigments in acrylic emulsion and copper carbonate
                                          on white clay
                                    Collection of the artist.
                                   11 1/4"
                                          Photo copyright by the artist.

Voltumna, the Seahorse God of the Etruscans

Tuscany, just north of Rome, was the site of an ancient
culture that had a language different from most others in
Europe. The art bears affinities to Greek and Egyptian
art, probably through diffusion of artisans throughout the
Mediterranean world. This was the world of the Etrus-
cans.


         A video about Voltumna by Eric Whollem, 2011



The ceramic sculptural tradition of the Etruscans was
very imaginative and unique. Their mural art utilized
earth paints in a style reminiscent of Egypt and Crete.


THE SEAHORSE GOD

Voltumna was the chief divinity of the Etruscans. This
was the Seahorse. This may seem odd at first. The
seahorse, insofar as it is a being that includes the horse,
the serpent, and the fins of a fish, is a type of of Chimaera,
or composite entity.

The Chimaera appeared in the art of the Etruscans in
the earliest stages of their culture. Before that it was
a Greek idea that stemmed originally from the Hittites.

The Chimaera is generally regarded as an embodiment
of untamed natural powers, but the seahorse was a more
benign symbol, as far as it was interpreted by the
Etruscans. The seahorse was the embodiment of the
highest concept of god to the mind of the Etruscan.


SEAHORSES AND WATERHORSES IN FOLKLORE

The Greek god, Poseidon, a sea god, had among his
chief powers the power to transform into a horse.

The race of Centaurs of  Greece, originally were con-
ceived as having the tail fins of a fish. They were thus
seahorses as well.

In the Sheltand Islands there is folklore concerning a
race of diminutive horses that wash up in the tides. These
were called  the Shoopiltee or  the Tangie.

The designation, Kelpie, is used to describe the magical
waterhorse of Scots and Irish lore. The term is Nokken in
Noreway. In Iceland the Ninnur.


MIKA WALTARI

base my observations on Voltumna on the novel,
The Etruscan. by the Finnish author, Mika Waltari who
relates that the Etruscan seahorse god was considered
a universal spirit by virtue of it's inclusion of mutliple
animal aspects as mentioned above.

Waltari's novel gives a spectacular description of the
mystic visualizations in the initiations in the temple of
the seahorse. A great vision of Voltumna is evoked.

The novel describes the journey of a priest of the
Etruscans through the ancient world of the Mediter-
ranian. A boy destined to be a priest is cast to sea
in a boat. He wears an amulet of a seahorse. He
is led back to his Etruscan homeland by destiny,
after having been captured by Greek pirates and
then having gone through a multitude of adventures
in Sicily, then the Italian mainland where he encoun-
ters the Cumean Sibyl.


THE ROMAN SHRINE OF VOLTUMNA

The Tuscan colony in ancient Rome had a shrine to
Voltumna not far from the sacred precincts of the temple
of Castor and Pollux.

See more posts about CERAMIC SCULPTURE on this link:

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

DAUGHTER OF THE MOUNTAIN
by Eric Whollem


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Anthropology, mythology, Etruscans, seahorse, Voltumna.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

MERMAID GODDESS/ a figurative ceramic sculpture by eric whollem


Mermaid Goddess
1999
by Eric Whollem
earth pigments in acrylic emulsion on white clay
Collection of the artist.
11"
Photo copyright by the artist.

A Goddess of the Sea



This sculpture depicts a goddess with braids in
the Greek fashion. In her crown are two stylized
dolphins; and on her gown are two seahorses
kissing.

AEBH/ The Celtic Eve/ a figurative ceramic goddess sculpture




                                                           
                                                                Aebh
                                                                2006
                                                                by Eric Whollem
                                                                oxides on earthenware
                                                                Collection of the artist
                                                                4.5"
                                                                    Photo copyright by the artist.

The Mother of Manannan mac Ler

Ler, the Irish god of the sea, bore through his first wife Aebh,
a magical son, Manannan mac Ler. Aebh is pronounced eev.
It is not far fetched to see her correspondance to the Biblical
Eve, as first queen of the sea.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

NECHTAIN/ guardian of the well of the salmons of knowledge/ Celtic Lore/ Figurative Ceramic Sculpture





                          
                               Nechtain
                               2006
                               by Eric Whollem
                               earth pigments in acrylic emulsion on earthenware
                               Collection of the artist
                               4 1/8"
                                    Photo copyright by the artist.

THE WELL OF SEGAIS

In the legends of old Ireland the Well of Segais is
very famous. It was the source of the Salmons of
Knowledge who spread poetic and mythic inspiration
among the Celtic people.

Nechtain was guardian of the well. His wife Boand
ultimately broke the bounds of the well and released
the enchanted salmons into the River Boyne.

_______________________

See my posts on CELTIC MYTH:

BELOW IS A VIDEO
THAT FEATURES MORE OF MY
CERAMIC SCULPTURES


 ERIC WHOLLEM                                   


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Celtic mythology, anthropology.

PERI/ a figurative ceramic fairy sculpture by eric whollem




                                       
                                            Peri
                                            2005
                                            by Eric Whollem
                                            earth pigments and oxides on terracotta
                                            Collection of the artist
                                            6 5/8" x 6.5"
                                                     Photo copyright by the artist.

The Fairyland of Ancient Persia

In archaic Persia, now referred to an Iran, there was a
development of fairy legends very much akin to stories
found in Europe.