Id Rhapsody
Inner desires, instincts, and emotions take the form of tropical plants and animals.
The work grew out of studying psychology and observing my inner world. Jung’s ideas about the unconscious offer a way to face its complexity honestly.
The macaw responds to a plural self, the elephant to maternal and primal strength, and the giraffe to a wish to be seen. The bear holds both charm and danger, the tiger suppressed force, and the rabbit instincts of reproduction and continuity.
The okapi, serval, and albino macaque evoke the unnamed unconscious, wildness and grace, and self-estrangement. A creature combining a fox and a maned wolf carries a sense of being on the margins; a curled-up cat suggests calm and intimacy. The lamb in the child’s arms refers to my partner, born in the Year of the Sheep, bringing a real emotional bond into the painting.
Completed painting
Process
