Senses Installation/ Moss Goddess-Research and Artist Statement

Research 
1 
"The earth itself was a goddess, curvy and ripe, radiant with fertility, aspill with riches."
-This quote is from the chapter titled Taste in the book, Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman. 

2
http://www.ancient-wisdom.com/earthmother.htm

Archaeological evidence from around the prehistoric world suggests that the Earth may have once been viewed/worshipped as a living, female being. Ancient texts and mythologies support the idea that the primary goddess was intimately associated to the earth, fertility and agriculture, as epitomised by Cybele, the Phrygian Earth mother, who represented the fertile earth and was the Goddess of caverns, mountains and all nature. The Greek Cybil's later became the female oracles inspired to divination by the Gods.

The worship of the Earth-mother was a common belief before the more recent development of the patriarchal society (c. 3,000 BC), coinciding with a shift in focus from Lunar to Solar worship across Neolithic Europe. Traces of a matriarchal society can be seen reaching back into the Palaeolithic period through the numerous Venus figures discovered in Europe. The early mother-earth belief system also had close connections to the beliefs in the afterlife, as seen in the use of red-ochre in funerary rights.

3 http://natural-fertility-info.com/nuts-and-seeds.html

Nuts and seeds are some of the most nutrient dense and delicious foods on earth. They are an important part of fertility nutrition, pregnancy nutrition and beyond because they supply the body with ample fiber, protein, minerals and essential fatty acids.

Seeds and nuts are packed with very important nutrients for fertility. They are literally the seed of life for a new plant, so they are packed with key ingredients to generate life. Four of the most important are proteins, omega- 3 essential fatty acids, zinc and vitamin E.

Artist Statement

My installation Moss Goddess was activated by the quote from A Natural History of the Senses. 

"The earth itself was a goddess, curvy and ripe, radiant with fertility, aspill with riches."

This quote really resonated with me because I've always felt that nature and the earth is spiritual. It provides us with life like a mother. It also spoke to me on a feminist level because most gods are men. I like giving goddesses a fair chance, and celebrating women in a reverent light. I chose to create my installation based off a female form to allow this celebration. The position I put the form in was to reference the iconic image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I chose Spanish Moss and twine because of the natural element and the interaction created with the earth to attain it. The mandala was inspired by the Tibetan Buddhist tradition involving the ephemeral colored sand mandalas. I chose seeds and nuts and a few spontaneous flowers to represent the fertility and richness of Mother Earth. The draped moss was to create a veil-effect to suggest mystery.