At the Sedja Gallery I have a photo essay of the show ~ Naked with a Chair ~ created by Mind Carlberg. And in the Sedja Sky Gallery above, I have an exhibition of ancient nude photos. To follow that, I have been gathering images of the nude in art, from ancient times, until now, and looking into the future. In this journey I have found many renditions of the Greek myth, Leda and the Swan. So now I am seeing how many works in the theme of this myth I can find. At this stage I can see that enough could be found to go into the Sky Gallery ~ over 200 images. This really follows on from writing the poem about Leda and the Swan ~ Feathers ~ where there are question to explore. Are depictions of this myth in one way, religious art. Not just myth, or erotic. Exploring this theme could raise the question of the nature of religious art. Of the religious experience when it rises to ecstatic, to bliss. What is the meaning of this?
Should we consider the experience of Saint Teresa .....
"Beside me, on the left, appeared an angel in bodily form. . . . He was not tall but short, and very beautiful; and his face was so aflame that he appeared to be one of the highest rank of angels, who seem to be all on fire. . . . In his hands I saw a great golden spear, and at the iron tip there appeared to be a point of fire. This he plunged into my heart several times so that it penetrated to my entrails. When he pulled it out I felt that he took them with it, and left me utterly consumed by the great love of God. The pain wasso severe that it made me utter several moans. The sweetness caused by this intense pain is so extreme that one cannot possibly wish it to cease, nor is one’s soul content with anything but God. This is not a physical but a spiritual pain, though the body has some share in it—even a considerable share." ~ Saint Teresa
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/zeliart102/chapter/berninis-ecstasy-of-st-teresa/
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