An Artist Interested in Mutants Hybrids and Chimera

I am an artist working in themes of mutants, hybrids, chimera/mythology and Transhumanism.

These tiger butterflies and « Caterflies » came directly from my unconscious. My unconscious is a factory of ideas.

Lately, I’ve been trying and wanting to embody the tiger; ferocious, brave, and serene. Plus, I’ve been obsessed by the butterfly woman for a long time already. For me, she symbolises freedom, escape through metamorphosis. So, it’s not surprising that I put felines and butterflies together and drew these. It’s all about my personal desire for transformation. Which can be super painful at times. Like a part of me must die first. At least it feels like it. Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst talked about individuation, a part of us that must die to get to the authentic self. Change is necessary, but painful.

“The most vital urge in every being, the urge to self-realise, is the motivating force behind the individuation process. With the internal compass of our very nature set toward “Self-realisation”, the thrust to become who and what we are derives its power from the instincts. On taking up the study of alchemy, Jung realised his long-held desire to find a body of work expressive of the psychological processes involved in the overarching process of individuation.” Young, Elizabeth Deedy (2018).

So, it is an instinctive drive to become the best that we can be, even if that means a very painful transformation. It is not an easy process for the caterpillar to become the butterfly. It is only natural as well that it takes time and there could be some resistance.

How do you know that it is time to change?

• You’re unhappy
• Things aren’t working
• You’re going through a lot of pain

For me, I’ve been approaching a big change for quite awhile now. And, this is not the first time that I’ve had what I call a «  soul crisis  ». The last time was when I was living in San Francisco, just before I quit drinking and got a divorce. Before these two radical events in my personal life, I had been very unhappy, with everyone at work, and with my relationship with my husband at home. Nothing in my life was working and I was in a lot of pain. I knew though, that it wasn’t anyone around me making me unhappy. I knew that the only one who could change my situation, was me. So, I made some profound adjustments in my attitude and habits. Things went better at work, but I lost my husband. However, everything in my life started working better. The biggest change was to stop self medicating with drugs and alcohol. I learned to accept people, places and things as they were and to stop trying to control them through my behaviour. Then, I learned some great tools for living through 12 step programs.

Terrance McKenna, a counter-culture guru and writer, said «every breakdown brings to the fore an immense reservoir of new, untapped differences and mutations». Maybe my fascination with hybrids and mutants is an expression of these difficult feelings and their affect on me.

Transformation

I tend to get very frustrated with people who don’t take action. Yet, I understand that I just happen to be a very courageous person. And taking action is my way of dealing with life. Some people don’t have the courage to change. I wish I could be more tolerant of them. For myself all I want is to be able to transcend the problems I have and to become something else.

Here are some of the actions I take to bring about change in my life. Mental health is a very serious issue and I’m not an expert. If you need help you should really talk with someone you trust and/or try therapy.

Here’s what I do: I do art intuitively. It helps to figure out what’s going on with me emotionally. I sometimes write about what I’ve been doing, it helps me investigate who I am. Sometimes, I must let go and make no action, no changes. I have to turn it over to my higher power and ask for help. If I’m not sure what to do, I just do the next right thing (even it is as banal as doing the dishes). I search for answers in books. I know that I’m not the only one to go through what I’m experiencing, maybe someone before me found the answer. I’m not sure if it is a way of escaping or of looking for help, but I end up reading a lot and learning. One important step is for me to come out of denial, to have the humility to do that, to surrender. I also remind myself that I have a choice in how I see the situation. I often simply make the choice to be happy in spite of having no control over circumstances. I try develop my spirituality through meditation. This mental discipline is the best way for me to have mastery over my distorted thinking.

 

Transhumanism 

(Definition of transhumanism from the New Yorker article by Casey Cep Why Are Americans Still Uncomfortable with Atheism?)

« Today, the voguish version of science as religion is transhumanism, which claims that technology will overcome human limitations both physical and mental, perhaps through bioengineering or artificial intelligence or cyborgs that can carry around the contents of our brains. »

This excites me and I pursue Transformation with great interest, love and devotion. I’m not finished evolving. My hope is that humans are not finished evolving. My chemistry is changing, there is a re-inventing of my story. I am becoming something new. I am a liminal self- a work in progress. I surrender to the changes. Creation and creativity are a part of this journey.

Mutants

Being a stranger, a foreigner, feeling like someone different, « other », freak, or monster is scary. Why must we conform to be like everyone else. Are we scary or is it the person in front of us that is scared of anything unfamiliar ?

Chimera

A chimera is a mythological creature, a hybrid of 2 or more. You will find them in mythology, monsters are often a hybrid of two known creatures. The Egyptian Gods were half human, half animal. I wonder if the Egyptian were able to astral project into the future and they saw the evolution of the fusion of technology and humanity.

If I were to look into the future and see my transformation I identify myself as becoming a Tiger/Robot/Goddess.

This mural, a commissioned piece, served as a canvas to explore these themes, weaving together elements of mythology and technology to reimagine the divine feminine in a modern context.

 

Transhumanism- How it Shows Up in my Art

Cat women, dragon ladies, bird women, mermaids, butterfly women, panther boxers, Siamese twins, Caterflies, The God Hermes represented by a tiger shoe, butterfly wings on ankles, flying pink tigers, a lobster fortune teller, even my tattooed portraits speak of transformation.

I think that self-help books can be so gross, almost condescending. So, I’m using philosophy as a form of self-help. I love the work of Donna Harraway, Rosi Braidotti, Carol J. Clover and Barbara Creed.

My purpose is to create my own world. A beautiful world, magical and marvellous. In my art I express thoughts, feelings and judgements, sometimes without being aware, intuitively. I like to think that I am a visionary. My purpose is to create comforting, dreamy, interesting worlds for myself and others to escape into. I recently started thinking that it is my duty to imagine a future that is magical and beautiful. Imagine And through imagining, create abundance.

How I’m Visualising the Future

For me, It is an artist‘s responsibility to visualise the future. So many science fiction books are becoming reality. The artist proposes a possible scenario and then scientists figure how to make it true.

I’m writing a new manifesto and I will ritualistically bury my old manifesto. My new manifesto is very much inspired by Transhumanism.

Here’s some other new work in the same theme. This could keep me interested for a while. I’d like to have an art show with these images and work it into some kind of project or installation. I’m just starting out on this new journey.