Cover Connections Spring issue
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Easter & the Moon Rabbit
This year, as you casually bite off the ears (or
other extremity) of a chocolate bunny, have you ever asked yourself as to why a
rabbit (or hare) is part of the Easter celebrations?
If you want to go down the most obvious path the
Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the
Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and served as symbols of the new
life during the Spring season.
The German settlers, who arrived in the Pennsylvania
Dutch country during the 1700s, were the ones who introduced the Easter bunny
to American folklore. The arrival of the ‘Oschter Haws’ was
considered ‘childhood's greatest pleasure’, (after Santa Claus of course). The
children believed that if they were good the ‘Oschter Haws’, would
lay a nest of coloured eggs and built their ‘nest’, using a cap/bonnet, which
has led to the later tradition of the more elaborate Easter basket. In those
days Easter bunnies were made of pastry and sugar and not of chocolate.
But according to some, Easter is not really a solar
festival but rather one of the moon, the measurer of our days. Many eastern
artists have depicted the moon with rabbits racing across its face. In one such
story, Buddha places Rabbit in the moon as payment for a favour, in which Rabbit
voluntarily gave himself as food for one of Buddha's hungry friends. An
honorary position, for the full moon is seen as the destroyer of darkness or
‘sign of new life and messenger of immortality’ (Hillard).
A
more important connection can be found exclusively within the hare, which
unlike the rabbit is born with his eyes open. The Egyptians called the hare Un, which
meant ‘open, to open, the opener’. Un also meant period. Thus
the rabbit became a symbol for periodicity in both the lunar and human sense of
the word. The hare as ‘opener’ symbolized the New Year at Easter, fertility and
the beginning of new life within the young.
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter!
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Groningen Street Art
Magnificent buildings aside Groningen also boasts
400 sculptures and other artistic creations within its city limits. To be found
all over in parks, public places, on bridges and street corners, they are
permanently on show and open to the elements. Often we see them with such
regularity in our daily lives that we don’t really see them
anymore.
One such sculpture along the Boteringesingel in the
Noorderplantsoen is of a large bull, ‘de Wisent’ (European bison). Created by
the Groninger artist Wladimir de Vries (1917–2001), it measures two by three
metres long and weighs ten tons and is one of ten statures that can be
accredited to him in the city. The bull is a solid primitive form with limbs
and head fused into a solid imposing grey mass. Taking a year and a half to
sculpt during which eight tons of stone were chipped away before the creature finally
emerged.
A sculptor of the old school, Wladimir de Vries
would first work out his idea in clay, then once satisfied go to work on the
designated piece of stone with chisels and sledgehammers: a time consuming and
arduous task. His work is predominantly figurative which exudes a sense of
pride and joy. Woman is often a reoccurring theme; the sensual nature of which
often caused much debate with not only his clientele but also the public.
Probably his most renowned work is that of ‘Landbouw
en Veeteelt’ (Agriculture and Cattle breeding), to be found on the Herebrug
(Here bridge) and depicts an urban virgin. She is naked except for a few ears
of corn wrapped around her middle and has her foot placed on a calf lying at
her feet. In 1953, when it was placed on the bridge it was received with mixed
emotions. Some found her too naked, whilst others found the rather strange
proportions of her body disturbing. Children on the other hand, were bothered
by the plight of the poor calf under her large foot. However, over the years
she has obviously grown on the Groningers who have dubbed her ‘Blote Bet’ (Bare
Bet).
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Connections Magazine - Winter #14 2006
Cover Connections Winter issue
Photo: featured artist, Jim Gamblin.
Jim Gamblin - 'Elements from our World'
All it took
was the glimpse of a photograph of a racing car in a magazine at the age of 12
to start Jim Gamblin along the road into the photographic world. Later, to
further his pursuit of the art of photography and techniques of the trade he
attended Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California.
Jim started
as a commercial photographer’s assistant and ventured out into the world. He
learnt the tricks of the trade whilst working on a diversity of assignments.
One in particular, he remembers, meant he had to light a mud wrestling
competition. But his preference lay with the big studio shoots with their party
atmosphere, cast of thousands and cutthroat hustle and bustle, reminiscent of
the 1960’s film ‘Blow Up’, by Michelangelo Antonioni.
After a time
Jim began to combine working in lighting for two independent photographers as
well as becoming a location scout assistant. Contact with one of the
photographers led him into the world of commercials. This appealed to the film
buff in him, as an advertisement can also be compared to a scene out of a film,
very often requiring as much preparation and a budget to match.
Work as a
location scout took off and this meant he was often given carte blanche to find
and photograph potential locations for a film. In this way he was able to
produce his own photographic work, whilst at the same time looking for an
appropriate film location. Becoming an invaluable part of a film’s production,
his involvement also meant that on set he was able to learn from some of the
best names in cinematography of the time.
In his work,
Jim tries to capture all the elements of an image in one shot, hoping at the
same time to evoke emotion and inspire others, ‘or just to stop and see the
beauty of the elements from our world’. As an artist, Jim believes firmly
that one should always be open to change and be ready and willing to learn new
things in order to progress. A vocation is a constant challenge and does not
have a finish line. Just like the priest he saw who signed his completed
paintings at the bottom with ‘Priest in training’.
Years later
in 2003, having traded the west coast of The States for The Netherlands, to be
with his Dutch partner, Kea (who is now his wife), Jim found himself in the
near vicinity of Zandvoort. Kea, upon hearing that Zandvoort was the place
where the inspirational photo had been taken of Jim Clark (by photographer Henry
Manney), that he had seen all those years ago in the photographic book,
immediately turned the car around and headed off in the direction of Zandvoort,
thereby bringing Jim full circle after all these years back to his beginnings.
For the
future Jim is interested in branching out into portraiture as well as creating
photographic film-like stills for graphic work such as brochures. Should you be
interested in contacting him or seeing more examples of his photography his
website can be found at: Jim Gamblin
The Romanesque Beauty of the Aa-Kerk
The Der
Aa-Kerk with its characteristic yellow tower can be found in the centre of
Groningen, alongside the fish market and centre’s shops.
A little Romanesque cross church that was built in the 13th century was enlarged in the 15th century to a gothic cross-basilica. The organ it contains is of great international repute and dates back to the 17th century. For the first four centuries of its existence, the church was a Roman Catholic Church after which during the Reformation it passed into the hands of the Reformed community for the next four centuries. In the 1970’s the last of the three monumental churches in the centre of the city of Groningen (Der Aa-kerk, the Martinikerk and the Nieuwe Kerk) became too large for the Reformed community and after restoration the church became part of Stichting Der Aa-kerk (non-profit) in 1987. The church has now mainly a cultural function.
The name ‘A’ comes from the river Aa that used to have an important function for sailors and merchants in the western part of the city. The vault, which originally was not much bigger than a large village church, was dedicated to the holy Nicolaas (or Sinterklaas), who amongst others is the patron saint of sea merchants and traders.
In 1671, as
a result of a lightning strike and ensuing fire, the tower and clock had to be
totally restored, with further repairs being carried out in 1710. The new tower
was finally completed in 1718, a design of the town construction master, Allert
Meijer. Since then there has been a ‘tidy-up’, in 2006 of the church restoring
it to its former glory.
Although the
Aa-kerk hasn’t been in use as a church for more than twenty years, it is still
in use for exhibitions, congresses, readings, theatre shows, and weddings.
There are also educative programmes available for the first two years of
primary school.
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