Immaculate Inception

by : Katherine Marmol

8x11 Canvas w/acrylic paint

March 2014

Onthefirstdaywewereback,IhadtakenashortnapbecauseIwassotired.Rightbefore
goingtosleepmyroommatewasjustinthelivingroomstudying,soIdecidedtoleavemydooropen.
WhenIwokeupIsawbrightyelloweverywhereandasIstoodupfrommybedIwascompletely
disoriented,itfeltutterlysurreal.IwalkedtothelivingroomandIcouldonlyseebrightyellow.Then,I
triedtocheckifmyroommatewasinherroomandIbegantopanicabitbecauseIcouldnotgetagrip
onreality.FinallyIrealizedshewasinthebathroomandaskedherifshecouldseewhatIwasseeing,
shejusttoldmeIlookedcrazy.
ThebriefanecdoteIdescribedabove,alongwiththemanythingswesawandexperiencefueled
theinspirationforthispiece.AtaglanceevenIthoughtthiswasabitchaotic,butItriednottolimit
myselfandmakethisaneatpiece.Myemotionsduringthistripwerejustasmessy,butsomehowthey
cametogetherintheend.
First,Iwanttodescribethepersoninthepainting.Sheismygoddess,oratleasthowIenvision
myinnergoddess.Herblackskin,yellowhair,andwhitemarkingsonherfacegivehertheessenceof
thesupernatural.Sheisnotofthisworld,andyetthereissomethingvirginalabouther.Herauraislike
fire,butmoreimportantly,itembodiesherpassionsanddesiresthatcanbeblindingtowhoevermeets
her.Aboveherisnotthesky,butmillionsofscatteredstarsthatplaceherinacosmological/mystical
realm.Thereversedpyramidrepresentstheworldasweknowitflipped,becausethisgoddess
understandstheworldonherownterms.Hersunisaflower,becauseshelikesallthingsthatare
beautiful,andagain,embracesherfemininity.Belowheristheoceanwaterthatmoveswithherandfor
her,notagainsther.Theoceanisherfriend,hercompanionbecausewaterisalsolife.Ontherighthand
sidearethevibrationswhichsheisattuneto,representedbyabluesphereandyellowfrequencies.On
thelefthandsidearetwoitems.Thefirstwhichisgreenandyellowembodyherbeginnings,herorigins.
Theboxesjustbelowrepresentthecategoriesintowhichotherpeoplealwaystrytoplaceherin.The
greenrepresentingherbirth,thepurpleherpresentself,andtheredherfutureself.Inthisplacedepicted
inthepainting,shetranscendsallthoseideasofherandshejustis.
MyreasonforcallingthispieceImmaculateInceptionsisbecauseuponfirstlookingatthefinish
productIimmediatelythoughtofthevirginmary.Butofcourse,ifmygrandmothersawthis,shewould
sayIdrewsomethingeerieanddeviantfromthevirgin.Immaculateformeinthispieceiswhatis
unstainedbyidealsofsociety,sortoflikeaPureLand.InBuddhism,thePureLandistheplacewhere
allthebuddhasthathaveexistedliveandarefreefromkarmictransgressions.ByinceptionIammaking
referencetothethoughtsandideasthatwereintroducedduringthistrip.Itisalsothefactthatincepting
anideaallowsforthemindtoexpandandgrowinamyriadofways.
Thispiecealsoincorporatesmyeclecticismintermsofreligion.Formethereisnoabsolute
truth,butmanydifferenttruthsarechanneledthroughallreligions.IreallyenjoyedallthethingsIhada
chancetolearnabout,anditexpandedmyunderstandingofnotjustYoruba,butevensomeofthe
thingsmyfamilymemberspractice.Oftencriticisedbythosewhoidentifyaspurelycatholicorofany
othermajordenomination,thereligioussyncretismintheislandisevidenceofourancestorsandtheir
beliefsystems.HereistotheimmaculateinceptionofASB2014inmylife!