JOS® - spontaneous sculpting
JO Steenkamp
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A
Mythical Journey Through
the Wheel of Life
-Bronze casting: Dionysus Studio
-Photographer: Carla Crafford
A Mythical Journey Through the Wheel of Life reflects on Life as the architect & carrier of secrets. The conversation is with the mysterious & ever-shifting osmotic quantum possibilities before its final collapse into a space-time manifestation. It follows the journey to the opening of consciousness, the choices that author our uniqueness, our fall from grace & waking up again, & the eventual completion of the particular Life-cycle.
Proteus Primeval I - III
Proteus is the old Roman god of shape-shifting. Because Proteus could assume whatever shape he pleased, he came to be regarded by some as a symbol for the original matter from which the world was created.
Primeval comes from the Latin word primus (first) & aevum (age) & relates to the earliest ages, from the earliest times in history.
[The origin of the word metamorphose derives from the Greek meta (change) & morphe (form) & describes a total transformation]
The Proteus Primeval I, II & III Sculptures symbolize Original Spirit shape-shifting continuously, meta morphing all potential possibilities before it collapses into a selected form & manifests as a cognitive entity.
Proteus Primeval I
(bronze – height 62.5 cm; weight 21.4 kg; Original Unique)
Proteus Primeval II
(bronze – height 57.5 cm; weight 19.9 kg; Original Unique)
Proteus Primeval III
(bronze – height 43.5 cm; weight 11.2 kg; Original Unique)
Phanerosis of spirit of Metsavana I - II
Phanerosis is the Hebrew/Greek word for the projection of Spirit — previously inapparent because it had not yet manifested — breaking through & flashing into the natural realm, making itself observable through manifestation into substance.
Metsavana is a compound of metsa (forest) & vana (old, ancient). Metsavana represents the Estonian mythological deity, the Old Man of the Forest.
[The Tree of Life is a universal metaphor found in many different ancient cultures, from Africa, India, China, Europe & England. Its origin can be traced to an ancient Turkish symbol, dating to about 7000 BC, that commonly represents the interconnectedness of everything in the universe.
- The tree is also a symbol of eternal life & immortality through rebirth;
- a beginning of new life, a fresh start. It can also symbolize
personal development, uniqueness, individual beauty,
the movement towards consciousness
from the root of the “other world”
to the enlightened or heavenly world]
The Phanerosis of spirit of Metsavana I & II Sculptures symbolize the act or the process of attaining visible manifestation through the Tree-Source of Life.
Phanerosis of spirit of Metsavana I
(bronze – height 55 cm; weight 12.9 kg; Original Unique)
Phanerosis of spirit of Metsavana II
(bronze – height 59 cm; weight 18 kg; Original Unique)
Birthing of Janus
(bronze – height 63.5 cm; weight 24.7 kg; Original Unique)
Janus, a Roman god, presided over the abstract & concrete beginnings of the world.
- He represented time because he could see into the past with one face & into the future with the other. He frequently symbolized the progress of a new historical age through the changes & transitions of past to future.
- He also stands for the middle ground between one condition or vision to another i.e., death & beginnings, or barbarism & civilization & the initiation of human life.
The Birthing of Janus Sculpture symbolizes the opening of a gateway to the next level of awareness & the evolution of consciousness; the human ability to pose a question,
“Why?”
Birthing of Janus
(bronze – height 63.5 cm; weight 24.7 kg; Original Unique)
Modern Human Phenotype
(bronze – height 44 cm; weight 9.4 kg; Original Unique)
Phenotype: a set of observable characteristics derived from the interaction of an individual’s genetic constitution with the environment. Similar events can produce different phenotypic outcomes based on the underlying genotype & intervening biological substrates.
The Modern Human Phenotype Sculpture symbolizes the attainment of individuation from undifferentiated consciousness & the recognition of uniqueness. The Phenotype also carries the potential of losing oneself in the world of the ego, the enslavement to the senses, & the loss of connectedness with the internal voice of Spirit.
Modern Human Phenotype
(bronze – height 44 cm; weight 9.4 kg; Original Unique)
The Clown
(bronze – height 60.5 cm; weight 12.9 kg; Original Unique)
The Clown has the potential to observe & sees through masks; the Clown, a wise manipulator, a mirror that portrays existential loneliness; the absence of a self that allows us to elude confrontation.
The Clown Sculpture symbolizes the shadow potential that jeers opposition to the rich potential that awaits us. Emotional disconnection from authenticity foments hypocrisy, a state of being that values second-hand acquired beliefs. By humouring the trauma-emotions of fear, anger & sadness, the Clown exposes the underlying vulnerability, the perfect narrative for healing. Hence, the Clown is the regulator that points us in the direction of wholeness & integration. The integration of the shadow into consciousness signifies cessation; we can finally stop running from ourselves.
The Clown
(bronze – height 60.5 cm; weight 12.9 kg; Original Unique)
Wisdom Soph(ia)
(bronze – height 42.5 cm; weight 13.7 kg; Original Unique)
Sophia is a classic Greek name meaning “wisdom”
The Wisdom Soph(ia) Sculpture symbolizes grounded in Spirit. Manifesting purpose is a reciprocal outflow of this connection affirming that experience of the external world is a mere reflection of the internal world. Reconnection opens the door to gratitude, compassion & inclusivity — we attain enlightenment.
Wisdom Soph(ia)
(bronze – height 42.5 cm; weight 13.7 kg; Original Unique)
Charon Ferryman
(bronze – height 40.5 cm; weight 9.3 kg; Original Unique)
Charon is the Ferryman of Hades. He ferries the newly dead across the rivers Styx & Acheron to the Greek underworld in return for a payment of three Obolus (a Greek silver coin).
The Charon Ferryman Sculpture symbolizes the end of the journey of Spirit in this manifested state. Charon transports the human form to the Source-Origin & the possibility of re-invention; a new journey in the cycle of Life through its Proteus Primeval shapeshifting manifestations.
Charon Ferryman
(bronze – height 40.5 cm; weight 9.3 kg; Original Unique)
