The Science
I have always loved painting volcanoes and I get my inspiration from the volcanic sceneries I see around me in Japan. I feel there is something compelling and mysterious about volcanoes; they are colossal centres of energy transformation. This volcano with its satellite suns was made with soft pastels, inspired from a pattern in a concrete wall I found during a walk. The sun is a strong symbol of energy, and the "satellite suns" circling around the volcano represent the energy cycles of nature. Volcanoes are the gateway between "inside" and "outside" of the earth's crust and therefore I see them as a symbol of energy flow and transformation. They are also untamable and unpredictable (and potentially dangerous), which only adds to their allure. Through this painting I wanted to convey a sense of ethereal power and the balance in nature’s cycles of energy.
This piece is linked by the underlying theme of energy flow to a poem I wrote, ‘Binding energy’, which is part of the same issue.
The Artist
Marie Wintzer lives in Wakoshi, Japan, and works at the Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Riken. In her artwork she loves exploring all kinds of media: photography, Japanese paper, beads, watercolours, soft pastels, natural dyes….
Her recent work can be found on Instagram @bijoucailloustore.
Copyright statement. This work is published under the CC BY-NC-SA license