All About “Solstice 1” and “Solstice 2”
“So, what’s the meaning behind this work of yours?” is probably the most common question I get at the art events I’ve done, and it seems to be a universal experience of many artists attempting to show their work to the public.
Many people who make things make things just to make things, not incorporating any deeper meaning beyond “cuz it looks good, idk.” I respect these artists deeply, and I do wish that could be me sometimes. Unfortunately for all the poor people who ask me that question, I think about the meanings of my works so intensely that I can rarely fit all of my intended transmissions into a few slick, socially acceptable quips.
So if you’d indulge me for a few paragraphs, I’d love to tell you about two of my more meaning-laden pieces, “Solstice 1” and “Solstice 2.” Many of their meanings I either injected into the creation of these pieces or later discovered by showing them, and they are directly linked to my understanding of the seasons and the innate flow of life’s experiences.
Solstice 1 represents the Winter Solstice, and Solstice 2 represents the Summer Solstice. For those who don’t know, these solar events happen once per year, one being the day with the least amount of sunlight and the other being the day with the most. Many cultures around the world tie community celebrations to these times. The most famous one is Christmas, which pulls many of its traditions from the creative ways Europeans used positivity to cope with the Winter Solstice’s coldness and lack of sunlight.
Solstice 1.
To channel the Winter Solstice, Solstice 1 features a slim woman with thick, dark hair peering through juniper branches at a bright, beaming circle of light. For aesthetic and inclusive purposes, I did my best to give the woman Pakistani-informed features; darker circles under the eyes, rounded eyebrows, and a lovely nose full of character and style. The face was a delight to render, but carving the individual juniper berries and leaves into the printing block was almost the death of me.
Light is an important aspect of both Solstices, so I wanted to make it the focal point of each piece. In Solstice 1, the woman leans cautiously forward looking directly at the light, surprised, a tiny bit horrified, but very curious. The Winter Solstice is all about the hope and hardship of birth and new life. The woman did not create this light, but merely found it, the natural result of the Sun’s cycle through darkness. If she chooses to foster this gift, clarity and abundance are sure to follow.
What will the woman do after the discovery of this new light? Certainly it represents hope and opportunity, but it also represents immediate change whether one likes it or not. Will she walk away to remain in the cold but familiar darkness, or will she mindfully engage with this new light in order to grow upward and outward?
These mixed emotions are an important part of the Solstices, especially in the Celtic interpretation of these events. It’s a little reflective of Daoism’s Yin Yang symbol; light in the midst of dark and dark in the midst of light.
Solstice 2 was created to feature this intertwined duality alongside Solstice 1. This block print was made 6 months after Solstice 1, but I had previously sketched out both pieces at the same time in order to get the aesthetic and philosophical balance between them correct.
Solstice 2.
Solstice 2 features a hefty man reclining among oak leaves, opening his mouth decadently to eat a similar sphere of beaming light. I had instantly thought to reference the Greek god Dionysus for this piece, and so did my best to channel the dynamic curls and dense body hair seen on some Greek individuals. Oak trees are closely tied to the Celtic understanding of the Summer Solstice, and their broad leaves were infinitely easier to carve than the teeny tiny juniper branches.
The Summer Solstice is when the Sun is at its peak in the sky, the longest day of the year and the confirmation of sustained months of light and heat. Winter is gone, Spring’s early planting is over, and there’s nothing left to do but lean back and enjoy the gorgeous weather and the natural growth of the season.
But just like hope in the midst of darkness, there is fear in the midst of abundance. Since the Sun is at its annual peak, there is nowhere for it to go but down. The days will only get shorter, the nights will only get longer. With nothing but everything left to lose, what choices will be made with light’s natural gifts and the work done to foster them?
I knew I wanted to reference Dionysus in Solstice 2 because of how well he represents these themes. He’s the god of legendary parties that can get out of hand quickly, the god of consumption both in its life-giving release and its potential self-destruction. The act of enjoying the results of work and growth is not only natural, but vital for human flourishing. But at the far end of that spectrum, the biological need to consume can quickly become a vice, instilling a craving that ignores life’s ebbs and flows to constantly pursue more.
Solstice 1 and 2 together.
Both pieces are beautiful on their own, but they were meant to be viewed together. Ideally, with Solstice 1 hanging closely over Solstice 2, the eye travels in an infinite loop back and forth between the two pieces, mimicking the repetition of birth, growth, waning, death, and rebirth that is intrinsic in every aspect of life’s journey. Hopefully this visual loop prompts reflection on ways you’ve seen the balance of those cycles in your own personal story and experiences.
It’s also perfectly acceptable to love them because they’re both cool pieces. Cuz they are. They look good, and I’m extremely happy with how they turned out!
You can purchase both block prints in my online shop if you want to see them hanging in your home. Let me know if you do, and be sure to send me a photo of them on your walls!
WHEW Hope a peek into my internal musings was at least a little interesting for y’all!
Pop a little comment down below if anything stuck out to you, I’d of course love to chat more about it.
❤️
With that, stay sane, love y’all bigly, and tune in next month for more self-aggrandizing ramblings,