The Whale Women of Cantharidia
CANTHARIDIA
2O1O
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST
An Allegory of the Sea
The above stamps are selected examples drawn from three
souvenir cyberstamp editions from the micronational post
office of the Isle of Cantharidia. The three sheets are designated
Series A, Series B & Series C.
Below is a video showing a set of virtual stamps from CANTHARIDIA:
MYTHOLOGY OF THE WHALE AND THE DOLPHIN
Many mermaids have their principal totem animal. Dolphin and
seal mermaids are among the most common. But the whale mermaids
have their own hierarchy that stems from ancient times in Sumeria
where Derceto, the whale woman, was mother of Ea, the God of
Wisdom. The Dogon tribespeople of the Sahara Desert have a legend
of a whale Goddess that came to earth on a great ship. Desert peoples
of the Near East, the Nabateans, were anciently worshippers of the
Starwhale, who they called Atargatis. They established sacred pools
in desert places where they worshipped the dolphin.
I met a sailor in Mendocino, California, once, who said that he
lived with three mermaids in a house near the beach. He was old
and gray, and had a tatoo of Poseidon's trident. He told me that
in his days as a sailor many of his shipmates were Orca Men, which
is to say, men of the Killer Whale. One often hears such stories
in towns near the sea.
The Whale Women of Cantharidia
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST
DIGITAL CUBISM
With these stamps I intentionally utilized the 'cubist' effects that
can be generated from low resolution cyber images. The texture of
these images surfaces is blocked out as with paint strokes into
geometric patterns.
A TEA BREAK
This sort of thing may not be everyone's cup of tea. But on the Isle of
Cantharidia, tea of every sort is heartily endorsed by the populace,
as the brisk sea air encourages the solace of a warm cup.
The Whale Women of Cantharidia
CANTHARIDIA
2010
by Eric Whollem
Series A
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST
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Readers interested in more stamps from CANTHARIDIA may find them on this link:
If you liked these stamps you might also enjoy the stamps of URISSAKZILLIA:
A Mermaid Stamp Video by Whollem, 2011
My posts about MERMAIDS can be accessed here:
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ARTIST STAMPS
Artistamps, cinderella stamps, cyberstamps,
fantasy stamps, faux postage,
mail art, micronation stamps,
virtual stamps;
digital serial art;
digital cubism.
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