Ideas for the residency seem to be revolving around 2 main elements: gold and the symbol of the hand. Gold is one of the base elements, the hand is a symbol of humanity, human consciousness and connection with the elements. Both of these have links with
alchemy, which also connects to Allenheads, it's lead mining history and the alchemists attempts to transform lead into gold. Both are symbolically linked with duality.
Hand = Body
Gold = Transition
Gold is only one letter away from God- Gold is the most malleable metal know to man
- For scientific application of gold see - Trust in Gold
- In religion and mythology it has been used to symbolise both good and evil, a blessing and a curse
- It is often used in spiritual iconography to symbolise the divine, though it has also been used as a symbol of idolatry
- It is very important in mythology, in alchemy it is the ultimate goal, it has the power to heal - the golden fleece, it is the curse of Midas, it symbolises the greed of humankind - the golden egg
- It is bling...
The hand is often used to represent the body or humanity, it has a rich and ambiguous symbolism and meaning and this is why I often use its image in my work. Hands can also be linked with duality – symbols of power, dominance and enforcement (a fist) and of meditation, healing and enlightenment (an open palm). Left and right also represent a duality between yin and yang, light and dark, past and future. Hands can be seen as a primary method of non-verbal human communication. The hand also has certain symbolic connections to the 5
classical elements: earth, fire, water, air and aether.
At the moment gold and the symbol of the hand seem connected in a bit of a loose web...
Gold > mutability > alchemy > transformation > lead > mining > AllenheadsGold > iconography > spirituality > belief > healing > symbolism > handHand > five > pentagon > transitional > viral > mutation > goldHand > five > symbolism > classical elements
