POP – Oil at 12 x 16 in. on 22 x 15 in. BFK Rives.
Depictions of Ouroboros, a symbolic snake eating it’s own tail, date back to the 14th century BCE. The first being found on the tomb of Tutankhamun an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh. Yet its most common depiction survives in the form of an alchemical symbol. One illustrated in the 10th Century book The Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra; with knowledge going back to Alexandria.
Considered by many the western equivalent of the yin and yang. It speaks to the idea of perpetual renewal. A concept encapsulated in contemporary pop culture. Repackaged, renewed, and redone the cycle feeds itself. Acting as a cultural common ground. A framework for telling a story.
Artists begin using it’s visual language. Selling and promoting their own versions of varied corporate holdings. Further feeding into the nostalgia driven marketing and remakes. Making new ideas harder to promote.
I’m no stranger to pop art. It’s so much fun to make. But sometimes I think I’m unwittingly a part of a pyramid scheme of MLM. Anyway, it’s just an idea I made a painting about. Not to be taken seriously.
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