Mixed media on linen
(acrylic, genuine platinum leaf)
60" x 40"
February 2022
Some in academic Egyptology debate the praying mantis god Abyt as a deity, let alone a significant one. My personal understanding is that because He was connected to the alchemy of being in a way that affects the evolutionary imprint one leaves on the species during life, He may have been too sacred for the ancients to mention too frequently.
He is mentioned though. Thus far, we see Him referred to in King Seti 1st’s tomb, and in 2 other sacred texts where He appears as a celestial escort. The text included in the painting was sourced and supplied to me by my colleague iconographer Ptahmassu and is included in a forthcoming work, The Book Of Utterances, a work that has influenced other paintings in this show also.
It has not escaped my attention that in the world of UFO lore, mantis beings are frequently mentioned as one of the denizens seen inside of or in relation to UFO’s.
I completed the study for the painting in August 2020 (below). Yes, M.C. Escher’s 1935 wood engraving “Dream (Mantis Religiosa)”, is an influence and reference for this piece.
