Witch’s Dance is a composite photograph I made a few years ago. My goal was to make something of the wonderful marionettes that I purchased in the Czech Republic many years ago. They represent a witch and, well, a cloven-hoof devil with horns. These are both ancient characters in myth and stories. The god Pan has horns and a cloven hoof. From Wikipedia:
“Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, rustic music and impromptus, and companion of the nymphs. He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same manner as a faun or satyr. With his homeland in rustic Arcadia, he is also recognized as the god of fields, groves, wooded glens and often affiliated with sex; because of this, Pan is connected to fertility and the season of spring. The word panic ultimately derives from the god’s name.”
It turns out I have another image of this “god”. A few months ago I was doing still lifes and decided to try to make something out of some of my mask collection. I noticed that one of my masks, probably purchased in Mexico, had horns. I found that this “being” is called Krampus. This mask is shown in the still life below…
But back to this composite photo. The background is our yard. Yes, we do have a cauldron on a tripod and a leafy background. The witch and pan are photos of my marionettes. To that arrangement I added fire and smoke and a cobweb, and overlaid it all with a reddish texture to help bring out the mood. Can you tell I love to read about ancient stories and myths…
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