Dead Calm by Alexandra Louie

julie Marks 26 Nov 2006

This is so awesome. This is the most sensual spider I have ever seen incorporating the beauty and dark side of our primordial instincts. I love the imagery of the eggs as symbols of birth with the maternal instincts of the mother combining her bonding with offspring given the human breasts that usually symbolize the wish to nuture. The head floating accentuates your theme of dead calm. I did not take this literally, but metaphorically given a different species rites of birth. The strange and peculiar state of mother gives this piece so much passion and estrangement simultaneiously. As you know I love the integration of the archetypes of dark and light. Here you did a great job of showing both given the viewer does not interpret your images too literally. If this was only about death, the piece would lack dimension, especially your wonderful rendering of human breasts symbolizing the antithesis of a "dead calm." The swamp is very moody which adds to the murky calm of the ambience. Mom seems very protective unlike some human mothers who show less interest in their offspring. haha