This one is for you, Alex. The only person I know who is curious about the composition of my drawing “A God That Sleeps”. For those of you who have no clue on what I am talking about, please refer to my previous entry first.
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The driver for the theme of a sleeping God is natural disaster, represented by the volcano in the center of the drawing. Behind the volcano is an elephant. You may not see its ears – though I did struggle to fit those into the picture and have decided against it – you should however see the trunk, the tusks, and the back (and the tail too!). Upside down is a whale. Elephant is the largest land animal now living; whale is the largest mammal living in sea. Together they represent the land and the sea; the legacy of our world. Initially, I wanted to draw the sky and the sea but have chosen the animals instead.
I am much affected by the recent news on the environmental impact due to climate change. And that is the disaster I am trying to depict. Later, I have added a sea turtle (the head is on the right with the eyes that have the same style as the elephant) that largely encompasses the entire drawing, for a few reasons. First, it fits the theme of the animals and the volcano. Second, turtle lives in both land and sea so the engulfment of the other two animals seem appropriate. Third, I remember seeing ancient drawings that depict our ‘flat’ world as a turtle (I could be wrong!).
Within the perimeter of the volcano is a sleeping God and a man. Only the face of God is shown, with eyes closed. When I compose this, I have Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” in mind (on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel). Instead of God creates man in his own image, I deliberate choose a contradiction that the two do not resemble one another, that man looks nothing like God (and God looks awfully like us!). Also, I have recent read the latest fiction written by Piers Anthony from the Immortality series. That reminds me of the storyline of how the Incarnations collaborate and overthrow the Office of Good – a.k.a. God – for God no longer responses to us. Hence this composition of man attempting to awaken the sleeping God.
Another point of interest to note is that when I compose this face of God together with the elephant and the whale, I had in mind the stretching arms of God (depicted by the elephant’s trunk and the whale’s tail) as though God puts his arms behind his head, sleeping.
How can a drawing with a man and without a woman? I love balance. And I have deliberately space out the heads onto each one-third section of the drawing. On the left, the turtle and the whale; in the middle, the man and God; and on the right, the woman and the elephant.
In the old days, mankind invented many ways to interact with God, to please God, and to tame God’s wrath. And I have in mind the sacrifice of the virgin into a volcano for this purpose. I have also decided on the 7 strands of hair. According to the Bible, the number 7 signifies completeness, perfection. She is not just any virgin, but a perfect one.
Can God be awaken in time before the volcano destroys the world? No one knows. Every entity in this drawing are waiting.
Like Alex has rightfully pointed out, buttons and zips have become a ‘trademark’ of mine. I am obsessed with putting this ‘kinetic’ interaction into my drawings, urging the viewers to unlock the mystery within.
I have resisted writing how I compose this drawing because it may read silly (and long!). Some may think that I am a lunatic. But for the few curious ones, well, the composition is not at all random. Now that I have probably said all that I should, I better … zip! Thanks for your interest.
Related Blog Entry: Making Of “A God That Sleeps” (And The 9 Years Of Togetherness) – for the original drawing.
15 replies on “Composition Of “A God That Sleeps””
Woo your thought processes are in-depth! I thought for a while if I had to express the same idea how would I have done it- i probably jus draw the mountains, skies, sea and shade them in colours they dont belong to.. I could see better where you are coming from with your entry!
Si Ying – And you would color your drawings in beautiful rainbow color, ya? 🙂
To be honest, I am finding it hard to take it to the next level with colors. Maybe I need a different media for experiment’s sake. Right now I use whiteboard marker on paper. Any suggestion?
I thought of oil painting. But I don’t think I can be that detail with oil brushes.
Yeah haha.. how abt doing the same, but using colour pencil/canyons/marker pen to colour them? Oil painting seems alot of work for one doodle! Yeah think it might be useful with a scanner. But i suppose just draw on paper and take a photo of it is good enough? hehe
Si Ying – Hmmm … color pencil seems a bit thin for me. I am quite a lazy man. Ha ha ha. Canyon doesn’t seem to have the precision that I need. Maybe I just need to master that. I suppose I could use the blue, black, red, and green market pens instead. But the choice of color doesn’t seem to be what I want. Meh, I am so picky!
Some of the size of the drawings can be quite large and it is hard to fit into a scanner I think. Besides, my home is too tiny to fit another object of that size!
Thank you for sharing! I have learnt quite a few new things today!
G – Hehehe … glad to hear that this post doesn’t sound too silly.
not at all! I have to agree with your friend, Si Ying, that your thought processes are very in depth! Gosh!!! Was is something special that you ate when you were younger? 😛
G – As a matter of fact, I thought I have shared with you before, a virus attack to my brain membrane when I was really young nearly killed me. Maybe there is some residual damage after the incident … ha ha ha.
Haaaa… Thanks.
Just reminds me when we were admiring the exhibitions at the museums, we were “distorting” the true meanings behind the artists…
AY – You most welcome!
Well, the beauty of art appreciation inside a museum is that your interpretation matters as well, if not matter the most, I think.
… and see how yourself, culture, time, society, background etc has changed the interpretion from the original intent
AY – True. That is why it is always interesting to hear how people interpret a certain piece of art.
oh wow~! I knew it is complicated. 😛 I do appreciate it as a piece of art. 🙂
Art aside, since the topic of the drawing is actually about God, I would like to express my view (if you don’t mind)… 🙂
First I am not too sure what triggles you to think of God as sleeping. In my view, while some people wonder whether God is sleeping or turning a blind eye on the diasters on earth, I would think that God is always attending to us. He is always busy with answering our prayers. Is God sleeping or is human too busy with resolving everything by man’s power instead? I believe that God is always waiting for us returning to Him and asking for His help. He never sleeps. No matter when we pray to Him, He will be there! 🙂
Secondly, though I was amused by the symbolism of sacrificing a perfect virgin with 7 strands of hair (haha), I was also asking why we still need to make a sacrifice to please God? Yes, in the old testament, people needed to make animal sacrifice. But now, we are living under grace as Jesus is the ultimate perfect one who had sacrificed for us. It is FINISHED. His blood has covered our sins and we can stand as righteous before God in the name of Jesus. We don’t need to make any more sacrifice to please God or to tame God’s wrath. Alleluia. 🙂
Ok. Just a personal sharing. 😛
Lora – Certainly I wouldn’t mind you expressing your thought here. In fact, I welcome it as that is what these comment boxes are for – an exchange of ideas.
I agree with all that you say. This drawing is merely an interpretation of one of the many impressions that people have in God. Some may relate, some may disagree, and that is the beauty of all, for it triggers talking points 🙂
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