"Evocation of the Child," a multi-figural, allegorical oil painting on unstretched linen canvas, 36x48
See more of my work at http://samuelabelow.com/figurative
Here, I represent a woman in a state of trance, ecstasy or rapture. It is as if she is an oracle, or mystic, and her dance is erotic, energetic, spiritual and, above all, otherwordly.
Two musicians play in the middle ground of my recent painting. They are inspired by two friends, who I felt embodied the Dionysian spirit of esctacy. On the left, I rendered a version of my friend Robin, as she played a Turkish drum. On the right, is an image of my friend James, as when I saw him play a Peruvian flute.
The monk, who is carrying a newborn child, is the most mysterious of all figures in this painting. Some viewers have told me that the scene reminds them of Christ -- in that it is a celebration of some unusual birth. This brings to mind the symbol of the redeeming, or transcedent child. The young woman on the right, she is naive and amazed, being that she is, in my mind, an apprentice to being a mystic. The young woman witnesses the strange moment with open eyes.
What do the figures and themes in the painting bring to mind for you?