Arty Farty Friday ~ Oleg Shuplyak, Master of Eye Trickery.

"Trick or treat" time will come around again tomorrow, so for this Friday's Arty Farty subject here's an artist who delights in giving viewers a treat by tricking their eyes: Oleg Shuplyak. He's from Ukraine, born on 23 September 1967 in the Ternopil region.

On first glance, Oleg Shuplyak’s dreamy paintings appear to be classically-styled landscapes, or portraits of figures from art, culture and fiction. On second glance, the optical illusions are actually both—classic landscape imagery and figures are carefully styled to represent eyes, noses, mouths and hair to their larger counterparts (who happen to be figures like Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Darwin and John Lennon).

See the two other paintings mentioned HERE.

Shuplyak must surely have been inspired by an artist from centuries past whose work has always intrigued me, too: Arcimboldo (see archived post HERE)


There's a selection of Oleg Shuplyak's work at, among other websites, Art Galaxie. Thumbnails there will enlarge by clicking on them. Google Image will bring up further examples of his work.

From YouTube:




It's occasionally an effort to get the correct focus (squinting will sometimes help a lot) before the trick becomes fully obvious.

.........Oleg Shuplyak lives and works in a small historical town in Western Ukraine called Berezhany. He basically lives as a reclusive artistic hermit.

Let's have a look at the artist's natal chart, perhaps his talent for eye-trickery will be reflected there.

Born on 23 September 1967. I've set the chart for 12 noon in Ternopil, Moon's position will not be exact and ascendant will remain unknown without a correct time of birth.

His natal Virgo Sun conjunct Uranus and Pluto has to be the first clue! Uranus, planet of the unexpected, and of invention; Pluto's transformative nature and unusual depth of scrutiny - all in meticulous Virgo - what could better reflect this artist's special talents? The Virgo cluster is flanked by a semi-sextile to Venus (planet of the arts) and Jupiter in Leo on one side and to Mercury in Libra on the other. Astrologers sometimes write that semi-sextiles are "uncomfortable" aspects. I don't agree - not in the case of every semi-sextile anyway, and not in this case. The planets flanking his Virgo cluster sextile each other and, I'd say help to harmonise the whole grouping. Neptune (imagination creativity), from 22 Scorpio, joins the harmony too with a sextile to the Virgo trio, but also forming a square to Venus/Jupiter. If seen in context of his specific style of art I could see that square as representing a challenge to a viewers' eye.

The artist's natal Moon position can't be properly established without a time of birth, but it's very likely to have been in Venus-ruled Taurus, and perhaps in trine aspect to at least one of the Virgo cluster.

Magical Illusion

Magic: I'm always intrigued when things fall synchronistically together for me. Three things related loosely or directly to "magic" did so this week.

First, a rather loopy contestant on the opening show of this season's America's Got Talent caused jaws to drop, even that of former Spice Girl, Scary Spice - Mel B, who has joined the panel of judges this year. The contestant, who calls himself Special Head, showed us what levitation looks like. Had to be an illusion or trick, of course, a real practitioner of this kind of "magick", a yogi, shaman or whatever, would not be cavorting on America's Got Talent.
Still it was fun to watch:




Fun to watch, too, was the movie we saw this week at the cinema Now You See Me - all about four professional magicians/illusionists and the mysterious person who gathered them together so's they'd become a peculiarly named (in the circumstances) foursome: The Four Horsemen. They proceeded to carry out some latter-day Robin Hood-type magical capers in Las Vegas, New Orleans and New York. During their shows beaucoup $$$$$$$$$$$ of certain other individuals or bodies, for reasons which do not become apparent until the last scenes, are re-distributed. There are hints thrown in of an ancient Egyptian connection to magic, which I'm not sure were fictional or actual.

The movie offers an entertaining couple of hours, as long as viewers don't think too deeply or care too much about logic. Treated as pure fun it's a good night at the flicks. The film will attract all age groups, unlike many on offer just now. Its cast list has some young bloods: Jesse Eisenberg and Dave Franco; some mid-lifers : Woody Harrelson and Mark Ruffalo; and older actors: Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. Female interest, which I feel could have been better represented with stronger actresses and better chemistry with the guys: Isla Fisher and Melanie Laurent. I think the producers spent all available casting cash on CGI and the guys - a pity.

Trailer:



Third reference to magic - or illusion - came quite unexpectedly when we got home from the cinema. We decided to listen to some music for what remained of the evening. I did my usual, random, blind selection from husband's shelves of CDs and came up with Days of Future Passed, The Moody Blues. Blast from the past, and not the husband's usual fare by any means. Nice CD artwork though, with zodiac signs and moon phases included. We chose track 7 from this "concept" CD: THE NIGHT - Nights in White Satin (Justin Hayward). Now....I know the song very well, always enjoyed it when played on radio in the UK, but I had never heard this particular track before, the extended version with a narrated poem at the end of it. The last lines of the narration were what made me catch my breath for a moment:

Cold hearted orb
That rules the night
Removes the colours
From our sight
Red is gray and
Yellow white
But we decide
Which is right
And
Which is an Illusion

Narration begins around the 5.50 point:




Full narration transcript:

Breath deep
The gathering gloom
Watch lights fade
From every room
Bedsitter people
Look back and lament
Another day's useless
Energy spent

Impassioned lovers
Wrestle as one
Lonely man cries for love
And has none
New mother picks up
And suckles her son
Senior citizens
Wish they were young

Cold hearted orb
That rules the night
Removes the colours
From our sight
Red is gray and
Yellow white
But we decide
Which is right
And
Which is an Illusion


For the astrologically-inclined : I just noticed that transiting Neptune is minutes away from my natal Jupiter in Pisces.
Neptune is known as planet of illusion (and magic too, I guess) - perhaps that transit is alerting me to see the synchronicity in such things ?

PS:
Other magic/illusion related posts from the archives:
Two Minds
Wednesday Woo-woo: Magick

Arty Farty Friday ~~ Michael Cheval - Illusion & Metaphor

In yesterday's post I included a couple of works by Michael Cheval. His paintings, discovered online during research, made me an instant fan. So - a little more about this fascinating artist.

Michael Cheval is the world’s leading artist specializing in Absurdist paintings, drawings and portraits. He defines "absurdity" as an inverted reality, a reverse side of logic. This doesn't come from dreams, or from the subconscious. It's more a game of imagination with carefully chosen connections to construct "a literary plot". Cheval’s paintings are "maps of his journey into illusion", often metaphorical. They require a certain level of knowledge and a sharp eye to translate often hidden allusions. These are not simply "pretty pictures!"

Michael Cheval was born in 1966 in Kotelnikovo, a small town in southern Russia. He grew up in an artistic family. His love of drawing was encouraged from early childhood by his father, a self-taught artist, and by his grandfather, Yuri Lipov, a professional artist and sculptor. His talents developed quickly and by three years old, he could already draw complex compositions.

He has lived, painted, and studied in Germany (where his love of history, literature and music further blossomed). There he led a rock 'n' roll band and for several years, composed songs, wrote poetry. Many of his paintings contain musical references.

Cheval later moved to a Turkmenistan city in the middle of the desert, near the Iranian border. Here he developed a deep interest in oriental philosophy. He began work as a professional artist. His decision to emigrate to the USA in 1997 brought a new beginning. Adding to his early inspirations drawn from Western culture, his own experience, philosophy and vision gathered from his time in the East, his work rapidly evolved and made its mark on the art world. His paintings these days command high prices, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

The artist's own website has more information and lots of examples of his work.
HERE and HERE.

I'm astrologically frustrated by not having Mr. Cheval's full birth data. All that's available is his place of birth and "1966", so a peek at his natal chart isn't possible. In 1966 Uranus and Pluto were conjoined in Virgo all year, with Neptune in Scorpio in sextile. That information alone sets a general background atmosphere of inventiveness, depth and incisive insight.

Trying to translate the symbolism in his paintings is mind-boggling at times. A few examples follow. One would have to be as well-versed and well-travelled as Mr. Cheval to catch every nuance! Titles, where available, offer clues.

Clicking on the images should bring up a slightly bigger version, to investigate important detail.

Practice of the Big Boom

Division of Prime Cause

The Truth is Always Inbetween

Official title is Lady of Hurricane. without knowing its title I saw it as Pandora opening her Box.....maybe that's the same thing!

Sunset Tango

Sounding Silence

Loquacious Blues (Many of his paintings have musical references.)

I want to go on, and on... but I'd be apprehended by copyright police - so, just one more:

Zenith of Time

Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner.

Arty Farty Friday ~ Alexa Meade ~ Illusion

For this Friday I aimed to find a painter or photographer whose work could be said to display at least one facet of what Pisces, and its planetary rulers Neptune and Jupiter are said to represent, astrologically. The subject need not necessarily have Sun in Pisces.

I found this young lady: Alexa Meade.


When a painter decides to paint, say, a portrait of a man sitting on a chair, or a bowl of apples, he/she transfers the likeness of same, as perceived, onto canvas or sketch pad. Alexa Meade, though, having made the same decision: to paint a man sitting on a chair or a bowl of apples - does just that: literally paints the man - and the chair, and the bowl and the apples ! Then she displays her work - and photographs it for posterity.

Alexa Meade's artwork is a mixture of painterly skills, clever trompe l'oeil , installation art and photography. To be as successful, as she is rapidly becoming, is no small achievement for someone not formally trained in art. Ms Meade graduated from Vassar College with a bachelor’s degree in political science. I'm tempted to say that the optical illusions in her art connect quite clearly to the optical illusions created by political conduct and practices in the USA! Perhaps her political studies lay embedded somewhere beneath this fresh perspective in art she has created!

Here the real becomes the art - and therefore the art becomes real!
In this brief video presentation Ms Meade explains:




Astrologically one would expect some predominant Pisces, or its rulers Neptune/Jupiter (illusion, photograpahy, creativity) to show up natally, as well as, perhaps, Uranus/Aquarius (inventive, avant garde, new) for what she is doing is inventing a new style of art.

Let's see:

She was born in Washington DC on 3 September 1986. Her time of birth isn't known, so Moon sign/degree and rising sign as shown will not be accurate.



Keeping it brief this time, because all I'm looking to identify is a reflection of Ms Meade's gravitation towards a blend of illusion and reality - key to her artwork.
I see it in the positions of Neptune (@ 3* Capricorn) and Saturn (@ 3* Sagittarius).
These are in semi-sextile (30 degree) aspect to one another, astrologically a mildly helpful aspect. More importantly, though Neptune, planet of illusion is in Capricorn, sign of reality/practicality, and Saturn, planet of reality/practicality is in Sagittarius, sign of exaggeration. See how that works? It's an an astrological reflection, almost exact in fact, of the artist's chosen style.

MAYA - ALL ILLUSION?

I welcome a guest post today from Gian Paul in Brazil - the first of many, I hope.

NOTE: In order to avoid confusion about the term Maya in the context of this post:
Columbia Encyclopedia:
maya (mä'yä), in Hinduism, term used in the Veda to mean magic or supernatural power. In Mahayana Buddhism it acquires the meaning of illusion or unreality. The term is pivotal in the Vedanta system of Shankara, where it signifies the world as a cosmic illusion and also the power that creates the world.

And in more detail at Wikipedia's section on Maya

MAYA - ALL ILLUSION?
by Gian Paul

The Hindus may have a point with their concept of Maya. If it's a concept. Maybe it's far more than that and if we "knew for sure", that could be "mind - shattering" indeed.

A common misconception in the Western world is that Maya is the illusion. That's not quite the case as it is Maya which CREATES the illusion(s). In astrology we may be facing a similar phenomenon: it's not the planets or their respective positions, transits, etc. which originate anything. The cause for any event or situation to materialize is beyond the planets. They however obey in their cycles to the same forces to which all events obey. So they coincide and/or converge.

I once read the following bon-mot:

"Said the board to the nail, why are you splitting me? Said the nail, look for the one who is hitting me"...

The original, biblical chaos which the Grand Architect reportedly "put into order", could explain why everything became thereafter connected. Humans in general may not see that but astrologers at times manage to glimpse some part of it by deduction from repeatedly having observed coincidences which then turn out to be probabilities and even more than that.

Here's a quite funny story told in India, reportedly by one of Vishnu's sub-deities. Like the ancient Greek gods, the Indian ones also, and still today, like to mingle with beautiful girls down here on earth. And they have direct descendants, but they are simple humans, entirely subject to the effects of Maya. One day this sub-deity could not resist visiting one of his sons on earth and engaged in a "serious conversation". During which the son in question wanted to know more about Maya from his celestial parent. So here a short transcript:

Son: When I was young I fell in love, got married, had several children and continue to care for them all. Including for my wife from whom I am now divorced. It's not always easy and by far not an illusion. I only have to look at my bank statement at the end of each month!

Celestial Father: When I spent that night with your mother which then turned out to be the event responsible for you being born on earth, I had told her that for one night she should believe that all is an illusion, result of Maya, and therefore of little consequence. As she was in love with me she accepted that. For a short time she entered the "realm of illusion" which I was proposing.

Son: So it's all a lie, Maya?

Celestial Father: No. For those who wish it to be true it's not an
illusion. But as there is still money coming into your bank account at the end of every month, you may have difficulties in understanding that.

There are other versions of this story, but they are less convincing. One of them being that the Son was born in heaven, close to his Celestial Father, but had wished to live on earth. So he was given permission to go ahead but also warned that it would be all an illusion. After which exactly the same happened to him on earth as related above. When he met one day again with his Celestial Father, he was asked if he would now prefer to believe that "all was illusion". He readily accepted and returned to where he had come from.