Corpus Collosum: The return of the Goddess, 2010, 50″x70″
The Goddess is the feminine principle in nature and life. Here she returns to the Estonian city of Tallin. On the right is the old walled medieval city, organic and feminine in nature, representing the right hemisphere of the brain. On the left is the part built under Russian occupation in the 20th century, geometric and masculine in nature and representing the left hemisphere of the brain. The water dividing them has a bridge connecting the two sides like the corpus collosum of the human brain. On the tidal flats are two creatures that have a double function, that of closed eyelids or strange six legged beasts. Above the city is a rainbow containing zodiacal symbols which shapes the top of the cranial cavity of the divided brain below. The Blue Boat is a symbol of transformation. On it are painted symbols of the feminine archetype. Above the boat are two birds, one extinct and the other a blue bird whose population is shrinking due to exploding human habitat. Above the birds is the remnant of a supernova explosion radiating into our solar system, indicating that nature doesn’t end with human concerns, or even a single solar system.
James H. Vredevoogd holds a BA from Michigan State University and an MFA in painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art. His paintings are in the permanent collections of two museums, two universities, and various private collections. An Emeritus professor of Art at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, he taught painting, drawing, and performance Art for thirty-two years.