THE OWL

ARTIST STATEMENT

     It may be in the fixed socket glare, the conspicuous facial disk, or the prodigious wingspan, but since humanity has had the ability to transmit belief, we have been transmitting grand beliefs in the owl.

     The beauty, grandeur, and grace of the owl has been the subject of cultural curiosity and significance across the ages and across the globe. Whether death omens or omnipotent gods, owls have garnered humanity’s attention since the Bronze Age, if not earlier. The question that this small series of works raises is “Why?”

     In most cultures, owls are associated with transmission, whether to death or to another place. In Hinduism, owls are often portrayed as Vahana, vehicles for deities; the literal translation from Sanskrit is “that which carries.” Native American, Mesoamerican, and African tribes all believe the owl is harbinger of death. Modern believers of extraterrestrial encounters consider the owl to be the remnant image of an abduction. Indeed, the our belief in these creatures to transport has even extended to the cosmos. 

     This group of works explores the ability of the owl to transmit. Whether we inadvertently attribute this cultural assignment of transmission to all avian species, or because innately we understand something about the owl we cannot fully communicate; owls transport our minds and our souls into a space of fascination.

     The tiny, rhythmic lines and dots are meant to represent String Theory. This is the theory subatomic particles that connect all living forms in the universe to one another, in constant vibration and constant conveyance. Using the symbol of String Theory as a backdrop, the viewer will better understand the theme of cosmic communication and rhythm throughout the three works.

     When observing the pieces, the viewer should find in themselves a yearning for a true exchange. The mars black and ultramarine blues should wrap the viewer in darkness with a penetrating, hovering red light that probes the very essence of their belief. The pieces are without local color, making room for the viewer to experience feeling rather than a point of view. 

     We humans are undoubtedly connected and communicating with these ancient avian predators. Our fascination with other worldly channeling and transmission being squarely focused on a particular avian species across cultural lines and millennia cannot be coincidental. Owls hold the answer to a question humans did not know we were asking. The “Why” is up to the viewer to decide. 

-Amy Lee Lummus, Artist