NEPTUNE, THE MYSTIC

Preliminar Study | Watercolor and gold on paper | 33 x 24 cm.

The Planets series is a saga of works inspired by the musical work of Gustav Holst. In the case of Neptune, the mystic, I approached the representation in three distinct planes. An upper plane, comprised of the planets and constellations; in the middle plane, the god himself, in a tempestuous sea, where mermaids ride the fish while a ship on the horizon displays its utter fragility amidst the forces of nature. In the lower third plane, the seabed, where sunlight does not penetrate, and all becomes a desert of darkness. The constellations in my work represent the mystic as a union with, or direct experience of, Ultimate Reality, the Absolute, or the Divine. Historically, the starry firmament (the Cosmos) has been seen as the most magnificent and perfect manifestation of the divine order. For the mystic, observing the constellations is not merely astronomy, but an act of contemplating the infinite and the underlying pattern of the universe. The storm also alludes to its power to connect with the Divine, with the most hidden and intimate forces of nature, with that which transcends human capabilities and enters the realm of the sublime. Is humankind truly powerful enough to escape the forces of nature? It would seem not, not at all.