Adelaide Murphy Tyrol Artist Statement

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Current Exhibit

Updated: 10.23.2009

ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL

Throughout history, animals have held an emblematic power in the collective psyche; as objects of wonder, of strength, of the hunter and the hunted, of domestication, and of sacrifice. Animals are also often objects of fear. I believe that somewhere deep in the belly of the beast lay glistening clues to our questions about life. For me, animals are the living representation of vital forces that define our existence. Animal forms often become envelopes for human qualities and these emblematic symbols have a certain ambiguity that shifts over time and between cultures. In Western art, the bat is often seen as a symbol of evil and danger, while in China it represents good luck and longevity.

I have borrowed the structure of the zodiac for this exhibition. This annual cycle which describes the path of the sun, is a system that is ancient, variable, and is believed to portend the future. The zodiac, whether Western, Hindu, Egyptian, Greek or Babylonian, is a system that is based on historical and cultural traditions - not on verifiable data. It represents a belief in the ineffable and the unknown. For 5,000 years this "circle of animals" has remained alive, reminding us of how we desperately strive to understand and order our world.

Adelaide Murphy Tyrol
October 2009