Saturday, November 03, 2007

NOT ICONIC

The Fall of the Rebel Angels by Breughel is not an iconic picture in our current Western visuo-geist compared to, for example, Breughel's own Triumph of Death.

Perhaps the picture is too busy or the colours and layout do not convey the full sense of this astonishing moment where the cosmos, from a Christian perspective, is altered completely and chaos in the form of evil is unleashed.

However, this painting repays those who might draw inspiration from it, since the imagery of some of the fallen creatures, once disentangled
from the clutter, can startle and perhaps warn us of the future where trans-genetic creatures escape from laboratories and populate the planet with disastrous results.

On a lighter note, I have always loved the bloated fishlike cartooney being at the top right with its expression of surprise. It looks a little like the expression Paul McCartney sometimes has on his face: the rounded O shape of his lips. Sir Paul, please write a song about the Fall of the Rebel Angels. On second thoughts, please ignore my request.

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