Forgiveness

Forgiveness

This idea came to me when I was falling asleep one night.

It is called "Forgiveness", and I think it has a "War of the Roses" feel to it.

There are signs of violence everywhere. She's hacked off his arm (note the cleaver behind her, with bits of his neck feathers still sticking to the bottom). Maybe she's cut off his leg, too. But that arm had put her in a cage and was pulling her backward. There are broken bits of china in the background, a symbol of marital discord. He has taken two feathers out of her plume, and they're propped up behind him. The dial on his back is set to 'broil'.

The newspapers are old and discoloured, as are the bones, signifying that the battle has been going on forever. The date on one newspaper is 'Wednesday, April 14, 1920'. She was young and beautiful once (note the fishnet stockings!) and he was handsome and virile. Now she has a dried out skull face. There is a crushed baby bird skull at her feet. He has dried-out seed pods by his knees.

There is an awkward space between them. Even the shadowbox frame is battered and peeling. He's offering her a butterfly, which is a symbol of change and transformation. He is on his knees. He is speaking flowery language, which is symbolized by the curly wire and letter 'R' coming out of the top of his head. She is not responding, but there is a hand coming out of the sky, with the same flowery language and the same letter 'R'. He is asking forgiveness, and the hand in the sky is suggesting that she speak the same language. It is a reference to the old biblical saying 'turn the other cheek'. But she doesn't have any cheeks to turn anymore- she's old and decayed.

Does she accept? Who knows. This shadowbox depicts the tense moment before the decision.