Monday 20 June 2011

Retrospect

"In retrospect, the past seems not one existence with a continuous flow
of years and events that follow each other in logical sense,
but a life periodically dividing into entirely separate compartments."

Yuri

Yurei: Yu meaning faint or dim
rei meaning soul or spirit.

In Japanese mythology, Namazu is a giant catfish who lives in the mud
beneath the earth and causes earthquakes.
Namazu is guarded by the god Kashima, but when Kashima lets
his guard fall, Namazu thrashes about, causing violent
earthquakes.

After the great Edo earthquake of 1855, Namazu took on new meaning
as yonaoshi daimyojin, which loosely translates as a god of rectification,
and it became commonly held that the catfish was punishing human
greed.

We should not forget the thousands of innocent lives lost in this
modern disaster.

Canvas 50cm x 40cm: Acrylic and paper.