Romany BestSyzygy

10th April – 3rd May

No school of thought has yet delivered us from the incredible greed and cruelty humans are capable of. Systems of logic, science, and spirituality — as well as reason, law, and moral codes — are continually perverted to serve the horrors they were meant to prevent.

Ecologist and philosopher David Abram immersed himself in communities around the globe to learn from shamanic and animist traditions. His writings suggest that a renewed, sensuous engagement with the natural world may offer humanity a way back from alienation — a path toward a more genuine existence.

Syzygy (from Greek Συζυγία, meaning ‘conjunction’ or ‘yoked together’) holds many layered meanings. In astrology, it refers to the alignment of three celestial bodies — such as the sun, moon, and earth — during an eclipse. In philosophy, it denotes “close union” (Vladimir Solovyov). In Jungian psychology, it describes an archetypal pairing of contra-sexual opposites, symbolizing the communication between the conscious and unconscious minds. In Gnosticism, the Aeons exist in male/female pairs called syzygies.

Ruminations on magic, shamanism, and the word syzygy — with its myriad meanings — provide the impetus for these paintings.

image: Romany Best, artwork installation