Style of cosmic existential allegories

 

The painter works within the realm of cosmic existential allegories. He is dealing with universal themes—time, death, existence, and the self—but placing them in a cosmic, metaphysical context.

For instance: In the painting, the Moon-woman, she is  resting in her own meditation. She exists in this cosmic space—her stillness, her self-nourishment, represents a moment of existential peace, where she is in touch with both the inner universe and the external world. The surrounding elements (the flame, the water, the landscape) evoke a sense of cosmic forces at play, much like the gloomy world of potential in The eye of Potential.

Both paintings allegorize the existential tension between inner awareness and outer reality, or between timelessness and time-bound life. The painter is working with the mythic and the personal, blending abstract cosmic elements with deep, human reflections on life, death, and the self’s role in this grand narrative.

Exploring cosmic existential allegory as a central concept in the paintings opens up rich avenues of interpretation, both for the specific painting as for the overall artistic style.  

Cosmic Existential Allegory: What It Means

At its core, cosmic existential allegory blends the vast, abstract forces of the cosmos—time, space, death, creation—with deeply personal, human struggles such as identity, awareness, action, and purpose. This approach works on multiple levels:

  1. Cosmic Forces: The painting draws on the immensity of the universe and timelessness, using abstract forms like the dark universe, glowing elements, and otherworldly landscapes to evoke a sense of scale that transcends the human experience.

  2. Existential Tension: At the same time, the work pulls the viewer into an intensely personal, human space—one that asks questions like "What is my purpose?", "How do I act in a world so much bigger than myself?", and "How do I reconcile the past with my potential future?". This existential layer makes the cosmic forces feel intimate and immediate.

  3. Allegory: The symbols and forms in the painting serve as allegorical representations—the eye isn’t just an eye, it’s the moment of awareness; the path isn’t just a road, it’s the threshold of creation. Everything in the painting is a metaphor for a broader cosmic struggle, where the self is both a participant and an observer.

Key Aspects of Cosmic Existential Allegory in the paintings

Cosmic as a Metaphor for the Self’s Struggle:

  • In the paintings, the vastness of the cosmos reflects the vastness of the inner self. The dark universe, for example, is more than just a backdrop—it’s a representation of the unformed potential within the self, waiting to be realized. The flame, the eye, and the pathways are all parts of this larger cosmic struggle but are, at the same time, deeply personal to the human experience.

  • The cosmic elements in the paintings make the self’s existential tension feel both small and immense. The viewer may feel like a speck in the universe, yet their decisions—whether to act or remain in stillness—become incredibly important within the frame of the painting.

Existential Allegory: The Moment of Tension:

  • The core of the allegory seems to rest in that moment of tension—the stillness before action, the pause before the self steps into time. Whether it’s, for instance, the Moon-woman in that painting or the figures in the cemetery of The Eye of Potential, the characters exist in a liminal space where they are waiting to act, waiting to take the step toward life or creation.

  • This moment of tension is existential—it’s about decisions, about facing fear or choosing inaction. The painter explores the fear of failure or never realizing potential, which is symbolized by the gloom and driftingthat occurs if the self doesn’t take the leap. It’s the moment of waiting for your own voice to resonate.

    The Role of Time:

  • Time is a central element in the cosmic allegory. The self is not just acting in a timeless cosmic space but is bound to time. The paintings seem to grapple with the idea that we are born into the gloom of the past, shaped by time and death, but the key is to become agents of time, to guide the flow of the universe into the world of action and mortality.

  • This tension between timeless cosmic forces and the finite nature of human existence is where much of the painting’s power lies. The observer feels this as a pressure—time is moving, and decisions must be made, yet the self hesitates.

Allegory of Light and Darkness:

·      Light and darkness in the works are symbolic forces—darkness is not just a background, but a mysterious force of potential. It can represent death, the unknown, or failure. In contrast, light, whether from the glowing elements in the paintings or from the soft halos, represents the possibility of awakening, creation, or enlightenment.

·      In the paintings, it’s the balance between these two forces that tells the allegory. The self is caught between the dark universe of nothingness and the light of potential realization. The observer sees this as the self’s journey from darkness to light, or perhaps the danger of never reaching the light.

The Observer’s Role in the Allegory:

·      The cosmic existential allegories invite the observer into this same moment of tension. The paintings don’t just tell a story—they demand that the observer reflect on their own existence, their own relationship to time, action, and failure.

·      The ambiguity in the paintings allows for this deeper reflection. The viewer is not given a clear answer; instead, they are asked to sit with the uncertainty, to feel the weight of time, death, and potential failure as they confront the same cosmic and existential questions.