Whirligig Paradise

[Hound 2]

As Leonardo Da Vinci once said, "simplicity is the greatest sophistication." The work I have created, which I consider my magnum opus, utilizes this idea. Most importantly, however, is the subject matter of Whirligig Paradise. Below, I will briefly explain the symbolism in this surreal work of art.

- This work alludes to the concept of paradise commonly found in many world religions. This is implicit in my work's portrayal of an idyllic retreat in which the sun is shining and the vegetation is flourishing.

- The entities in this work, which I dub "Whirligigs", are meant to represent spiritual entities who guide souls in the afterlife to paradise. You may notice that each Whirligig lacks individuality. This is because every Whirligig is technically created in the image of the One (who is equivalent to God), and so they retain their physical similarities. In many ways they function as angels as in Abrahamic religions.

- Water is also very important in this work. It takes up more than half of the composition because of its symbolic associations with baptismal purification.

- This work is divided into registers, similar to the divide between Heaven and Hell.

- The Sun's piercing rays create a holy atmosphere in this work. The rays also function as a reference to the styles of Baroque art. They also create a sense of drama in the work as a whole.

- The liveliness and the proliferation of the coral reefs are symbolic of the lush gardens of Eden as well as the bittersweet distractions, pitfalls and intricacies of life in the mortal realm that are abandoned upon rising to enlightenment.