Art by Pegi Eyers
“Oceans rise and fall, mountains grow tall and erode, ancient rivers wash away. Allow safe passage, Virgin of Guadalupe, Goddess of the Americas, Defender and Protector.”
"Angry Seas" by Pegi Eyers / masonite, foam core, paperclay, handmade papers, lace, tissue, chine collé, acrylic, water media, collage, shells, broken glass, sand from the Gulf of Mexico
I created the mixed-media piece "Angry Seas" in response to witnessing rising seas and flooding in Texas. I was sightseeing in the downtown core of Corpus Christi - A city built along beaches facing the Gulf of Mexico - on a day when the coast was being pounded by unbelievably heavy rains. By mid-afternoon, the low-lying streets in the gallery district, were flooded with up to four feet of water. Walking back to my vehicle through these “inland waterways” reaching to my waist, was an unforgettable experience.
Later, I decided to record this image as a “force of nature” - a great storm in both sky and ocean pummelling man-made structures that appear fragile and defenceless. I included the icon and patron saint of Mexican, Chicano, Latina and Hispanic people - the Virgin of Guadalupe - to represent divine intervention, hope and humility in the face of nature’s power. She rests within a colonial church made from adobe - Spanish architecture common throughout Texas and the American Southwest.
Later, I decided to record this image as a “force of nature” - a great storm in both sky and ocean pummelling man-made structures that appear fragile and defenceless. I included the icon and patron saint of Mexican, Chicano, Latina and Hispanic people - the Virgin of Guadalupe - to represent divine intervention, hope and humility in the face of nature’s power. She rests within a colonial church made from adobe - Spanish architecture common throughout Texas and the American Southwest.
"Angry Seas" by Pegi Eyers >DETAIL<
LA VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic icon and Mexico's most popular religious image. Also described as a manifestation of the Virgin Mary, her feast day on December 12 commemorates her appearance to St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City in 1531. She is also an important symbol of Mexican nationalism. When Miguel Hidalgo launched the Mexican independence movement in 1810, he is said to have shouted, "Death to bad government, and long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!"
During the Mexican Revolution Zapata's men wore the Virgin's image on their hats, and the modern-day Zapatista Army of National Liberation has named a "mobile town" after Our Lady. Others see her as a syncretic manifestation of the Indigenous Aztec Goddess Tonantzin. Her feast day is the most widely celebrated holiday in Mexico and the Mexican diaspora, a tribute to the survival of this beloved and compassionate Goddess.
"Angry Seas" was featured in the exhibition: “Answering the Call” the Orillia Artists Community in Aid of Tsunami Disaster Relief PRIVATE COLLECTION
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic icon and Mexico's most popular religious image. Also described as a manifestation of the Virgin Mary, her feast day on December 12 commemorates her appearance to St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City in 1531. She is also an important symbol of Mexican nationalism. When Miguel Hidalgo launched the Mexican independence movement in 1810, he is said to have shouted, "Death to bad government, and long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!"
During the Mexican Revolution Zapata's men wore the Virgin's image on their hats, and the modern-day Zapatista Army of National Liberation has named a "mobile town" after Our Lady. Others see her as a syncretic manifestation of the Indigenous Aztec Goddess Tonantzin. Her feast day is the most widely celebrated holiday in Mexico and the Mexican diaspora, a tribute to the survival of this beloved and compassionate Goddess.
"Angry Seas" was featured in the exhibition: “Answering the Call” the Orillia Artists Community in Aid of Tsunami Disaster Relief PRIVATE COLLECTION
 | Pegi Eyers is also the author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change. www.stonecirclepress.com |
