margrave

Margrave stands in a grand hall.
Directly behind her is a gated
corridor. To her right is a lit corridor
and to her left a dark corridor. She
looks off into the darkness deciding
to take the darker path.

She wears upon her head a mantle
of position. Upon it's face is a
swastika. In Margrave's arms rests a
From what we think we know about
these symbols we could be fairly
certain who she is and what her
motivations are, however 'Margrave'
is a study of duality and misleading
signs. Lets begin with her name,
Margrave, a title given to German
nobility corresponding in rank to a
British marquess. Traditionally a
male title. Perhaps gender roles
have no place in her world.

The owl can symbolize many
conflicting things, wisdom, patience,
introspection and a brooding nature,
a symbol of knowledge and of
erudition that can see through
obscurity. Because of their nocturnal
habits and plaintive cry they're seen
by some as harbingers of death.
They've come to symbolize a turning
away from spiritual light and ,
conversely, Jesus Christ in the "night
of suffering and death.' What could
such a pet mean to Margrave? A
bad omen? or an enlightened
nature?

The corridor behind Margrave is
locked with an intricate gate,
interesting and beautiful, however it
still blocks her entry, could this
corridor be the past? If so, one could
venture her choices are limited
without the knowledge of the past.
Surely the present is more accessible
, represented by the corridors
flanking Margrave. It looks like she is
going to choose the unlit path.

Even though it's dark, her chosen
path is not necessarily evil. It is
simply unknown. And finally The
symbol she wears proudly on her
crown is not one of hate. Before it's
perversion in the 20th century, the
swastika had been for thousands of
years a symbol of light, the sun and
of good fortune throughout the world
and it's many cultures.

Perhaps we've misjudged Margrave...

margrave
acrylic
29x47