"I am fascinated by cross cultural juxtapositions''
''My paintings are visual diaries in response to my travels and surroundings.
Having lived and worked in London, Paris, Sydney and Tokyo, the cross-cultural and ritualistic elements from these societies have always fascinated me, along with strong culinary influences and references, which are reflected in my work. In particular, I explore the significance of seemingly incongruous foods, and place them within my paintings.''
Selina, S. (2013). Selina Snow . Available: http://www.selinasnow.com/. Last accessed 19th Oct 2013.
I am most fascinated by Selina's 'Indian and Children' series displayed at Southampton City Art Gallery this fall. The referencing of Indian, Portuguese, Chinese and Jewish cultures within her work are most extraordinary, pieced together with symbolic flowers, rich textiles, food and iconic European baby graphics from the 1950s and 1960s. 'I became aware during my travels around India of the high value placed on my offspring. About how women circled 'Fertility Trees' praying for boy babies as opposed to girls.' Selina, S. (2013). Selina Snow . Available: http://www.selinasnow.com/. Last accessed 19th Oct 2013.
The paintings in this series were created during a rough patch in her life, when her mother and father passed away alongside each other, and are inspired by her discovery of all the old birthday and mothers-day cards. Selina has used elements of her discovery alongside the images to represent the cross cultural mix and the Indian and British desire for children.
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| Little lamb -Fort Cochin Acrylic on canvas 30cm x 40cm Available: http://www.selinasnow.com/. Last accessed 19th Oct 2013. |
This piece is rather confusing, it combines two completely separate images, painted in different styles and pieced together on one canvas. What strikes me first is the bold outlines and minimalist style used to create the lamb, juxtaposed with the attention to detail of the little Indian god perched on top of what looks like a lotus flower. My mind is puzzled by how two profoundly different images can be fixed together and look majestic.
The bold shapes and lines in this piece are emphasised with a great use of colour. The colours really clash and contrast with each other, icy blues with royal reds and yellows collide, making the images really stand out. The background is subtle; it reminds me of wallpaper, wallpaper for a baby's room. I find it strange that both images are as bold as each other, my eyes dart from image to image, struggling to find a focus point. As a result, I feel that the two images have an equal importance.
This painting has a lot of symbolism, I feel that everything has a real purpose, from the colours to the images and composition of the piece, all convey different emotions, meaning and projects mood.
The artist has said to have created this painting to represent Indian and British desires for children, I feel that the lamb represents British culture and the lotus flower represents Indian culture, we can definitely see a division and difference between the two images.
The lamb symbolises gentleness of character and is a image often used to symbolise the coming of Spring, the style in which the lamb is painted reminds me of baby congratulation cards of the 60s. The lamb is also a holy image, again referencing to British culture - Christianity, it signifies purity, meekness, and sacrifice.
On the other hand, the rich colourful image of the flower and the little Indian god seems much more exotic to me, it feels mysterious and wise. I do not know much about Hinduism, so I cannot name which god is present, however, I feel that the blue skin is symbolic, blue stands for strength and power. It is a colour of depth, of nature, ocean, sky and fire, therefore I feel that it is symbolic of the importance of parents, reflecting the strength a parent requires to bring up a child. The poise is majestic, perched on top of the lotus flower, it is extravagant. The lotus flower is also symbolic in many ways. A lotus flower grows in muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. At night, the flower closes, sinks and reappears at dawn. Untouched by the impurity, lotus symbolises the purity of heart and mind, it also represents long life, health, honour and good luck. Moreover, I feel that it represents the struggle of life, representing the overcoming of a hard time - Selina's parents may have had to overcome many difficulties and hardship in order to bring her up.
Overall, I feel that this piece is amazing, it is able to convey so many meanings through symbolism and truly does represent the cross cultural mix of the British and Indian desire for children.
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