This IS NOT A Stone (#53)

The Chemical Marriage

Alchemists saw themselves as artists/scientists, who through their who through their highly controlled chemical operations could perfect nature (which is symbolized by the transformation of metal into gold).

The vessel used by the alchemist was a microcosm - a universe in miniature - in which this change would take place. Alchemical acts were described in visual symbolic terms, partly to prevent secrets from falling into the wrong hands.

A crucial stage in the process was the union of the male and female side of matter, which was sometimes symbolized by a hermaphrodite or the marriage between a king and a queen.

Unknown

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Choosing this simple, mediocre sand stone in 1986 to be his focal point for meditation and thoughts , artist Jan van Krieken doesn't need much more; a symbol for the slipping of time, a bit of eternity amidst an ever faster moving and changing world.

While investigating and researching the artist automatically arrived at "The Philosopher's Stone", the mysterious substance that alchemists had sought for centuries. Van Krieken found out that they were essentially looking for the same thing as he was looking for by means of the stone in his pond; the pure and the everlasting.

Almost 32 years of observing and photographing that one sand stone. Sometimes covered with snow, sometimes occupied by a bird, or hidden by fallen leaves, protected by ice or serving as a warm bed for a salamander this cycle of change became a metaphore for life itself.

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Number 53 in the continuous series "This IS NOT A Stone"

To watch the previous post in this series follow this link to: 'This IS NOT A Stone #52'

Or start at the beginning: 'Everything In One Stone'