Image of the Week: Spring Moon
© Durga Yael Bernhard
This week brings the coming of not only a full moon, but a "supermoon" – when the moon's orbit reaches its perigee, or closest point to the earth. Along with this moon comes the beginning of Passover, the holiday that was celebrated in the Last Supper, which was a seder – to be commemorated by Christians on the same day, as Maundy Thursday falls this year on the first day of Passover. This will be a week of sacred celebration for millions of people, with the moon looming larger than ever. May we be blessed with a clear night, so the light of the moon will shine on all of us, reminding us of our commonality even as we celebrate in different ways. Who among us does not need spiritual light right now?
I wasn't thinking about any of this when I painted Spring Moon nineteen years ago. I was searching, as an artist who delved into ancient and tribal cultures, to make a fusion of native American and native Australian art. Allowing these influences to trickle down into my work wasn't enough: I wanted to find a way to weave them together. I was enamored, at the time, by the concentric circular patterns of the Plains Indians. Equally captivating were the intricate patterns of Australian aboriginal bark paintings, which marched to a completely different rhythm. Could I capture energy in visual form, the way tribal art does? Could I combine the circular structure of one with the fluid geometry of the other? After all, I did not want my moon to be locked into its sky. The fluid background allowed my moon to float freely, while the rings of triangles inside the moon radiated with contrast. I ponder these "visual physics" constantly while I work.
The background colors are taken from the damp and muted, budding green hues of spring. As for the colors of the moon itself, there was no logic. The whole painting was done on a collaged surface of strips of textured rice paper – a technique I still use to this day.
Spring Moon is one of my personal favorites. The painting hangs unframed in my bedroom, and is one of the first things I see when I open my eyes each morning.
Wishing you a week of spiritual light and meaningful online gatherings. As Jews recite the Ten Plagues on Passover Eve, we will surely think of our ancestors with heightened imagination as we live through this modern plague.
Celebrating or not, we will all be enjoying the same spring moon.
Stay safe and well.
D Yael Bernhard