Project 4:Phoenix
ARTIST RESEARCH:

The phoenix is such an enigmatic creature in that there is no one right portrayal of this creature because it is simply a myth. The Phoenix is a mythological bird that has been depicted for centuries (World Encyclopedia). It has been known to symbolize resurrection and rebirth.

In ancient Egypt, this bird was linked with sun worship, and there could only exist one bird at a time and upon death they would build a nest of ashes from which they would rise again it was also said to have burned itself on the altar of Helios (the sun) in ancient Egypt. According to many different legends, it would repeat this stage every 500-600 years. For Christian artists and writers, it was considered a symbol of resurrection (The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church).
In classic mythology, the bird is said to resemble an eagle with plumage the color of fire and lived in the Arabian Desert. It would then build a nesting of ashes heated up by the sun, and while fanning the nest with its wings, the ashes would ignite and the Phoenix would be born again ( A Dictionary of Phrase and Fable).

To the Egyptians, the Phoenix symbolized immortality, which is something I have decided to focus on with the concept of a circle.

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For my project, I have chosen to research Constantin Brancusi. I have searched through the Aberdeen Bestiary for historical depictions of the phoenix since I could not find an artist who focused specifically on the Phoenix.
Constantin Brancusi was a Romanian born sculptor who was first trained in sculpting stone and as a carpenter. From the 1920’s to the 1940’s he was fascinated by the theme of birds in flight. He focused specifically on the shape of the bird in flight and the fluidity present in the bird’s body which allows it to fly.

He also focused a lot on the concept of the weather, and thus the mechanism of the wing.

In his work, however, he concentrated mostly on the movement and the “essence” of flight. Why did he do this? He wanted to go back to the basic concept of the bird and to focus mainly on the shape. He was a primary contributor to themodern movements in abstraction. His works, as seen below, have little detail as he has abstracted the birds so that only the shape and essence is present.(Brancusi.com).

"Phoenix"  A Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Edited by Elizabeth Knowles. Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press May 2010  <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t214.e5419>

"Phoenix” The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Ed. E. A. Livingstone. Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. May 2010