Knoten (2008)
Swan, black lacquered wood. 9” x 18” x 78”
Knoten is a swan aloft, neck tied into a tight knot, wings hugging, a 6ft high block of lacquered black wood, the width and height of a person.
There is much symbolism surrounding the knot: the ancient Egyptians considered the knot to be an emblem of life, the “knot of Isis” being a symbol of immortality. In Islamic tradition knots are regarded as symbols of protection (knots in beards worn to ward off the evil eye). In Buddhist thinking, the purpose of life is to break the seal of the soul/ loosen the bonds that tie it down – so that when the knots are unraveled, death (or the next life) ensues.