It's the after-thoughts, the thoughts about what comes after, the afterwards, that are the hardest things to imagine. Whatever's next. Whatever the new normal is. What comes after 'this', whatever 'this' is; the trauma, the heartache, the celebration, the achievement, the event.
The Daily Art app this week featured this fascinating, beautiful illuminated manuscript. I felt like it was worth sharing.
The illumination is from northern Ethiopia, some time around the late 14th or early 15th century.
The style is somewhat reminiscent of Eastern / Orthodox / Byzantine style, but obviously quite different too.
The writing around the edge is apparently Ge'ez - old Ethiopian church language. But I believe the script (or a derivation thereof) is used in modern Amharic.
I'm unsure of Daily Art's subscription model now (I've an old lifetime subscription from before they changed it), but I think it still has some free tier. It's a great way to see art from around the world, in styles you might not otherwise encounter.
Editing this post to add a bit more context - so sorry for multiple edit notifications the server here is a bit overwhelmed today - big thanks to @alpine_thistle and @jlundell for providing some great additional information! It was all new to me but really interesting, and might interest others reading this too.
The four winged figures surrounding Jesus are the four Gospels - those of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - represented as animal forms: a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle (respectively). These are traditional representations of the four Gospels; Ezekiel 1:10 includes references to a vision of these four figures. More information about this, and why those particular representations over on Aleteia: https://aleteia.org/2016/12/27/do-you-know-the-meanings-of-the-creatures-in-the-tetramorph
Jeden Tag ein Cover aus meiner Geschichtensammlung. Auf Draht: Eine Truppe von Beamten aus den 70ern trifft auf eine Raumschiff-Navigatorin. Für Rossi endet es tragisch, doch der Staatsdiener taucht wenig später unversehrt wieder auf. Nur die Schöpferin und ihr Sohn Ramdösir kennen die Antwort.
Part of my creative process is actually consumption, as well as being my relaxation. Feeling in need of bit of a battery charge so starting weekend early and looking at art books. Here's what I grabbed off shelves for a start.
Are there any #fediverse platforms that don't compress or others ruin image uploads? #mastodon reduces many images to under 2000 pixels in either direction, usually in the 1600-1800 range from what I've seen.
A different world comes into view for an instant, hidden within the bits of this one. Pieces and particles below the surface tension of solidity and immutability. A network of whispering secrets reaching out to all the unspoken things.
And you start to think, that maybe, just maybe, if you could collect enough of them, you could be different too.
The sheds at Lindisfarne, Holy Island, Northumberland.
Upturned fishing boats serve as garden sheds for all kinds of storage in this beautiful place, so unique and photogenic.