Axis Mundi 2019

Editor: This is "Axis Mundi" by Joshua Flint, painted in 2019, using acrylics. It feels almost dreamlike, but also a bit unsettling, like something's not quite right beneath the surface. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The unsettling feeling stems, I think, from the blurring of boundaries. Look at how the water, rendered in swirling pinks and browns, floods the domestic space. Water, a powerful symbol of the unconscious, encroaches on the realm of the conscious, rational mind. Does that resonate with you? Editor: Definitely. And there's this old man, almost dissolving at the edges... is he significant? Curator: Precisely. The figure with the walking stick, seemingly fading, evokes ideas of transition, perhaps mortality. Walking sticks symbolize authority and guidance. Here, it could imply the journey to the self and psychological support during difficult times. This narrative invites reflection. What narrative or personal mythology does this painting trigger for you? Editor: It makes me think of memory... how it shifts and blurs over time. Almost like it’s dissolving in that water. And the figures at the table, are they ghosts, memories, too? Curator: Indeed. Notice how their faces are indistinct. Are they archetypes, placeholders, representing collective human experience? The table could be seen as an altar, a space for ritual or communion. This invites you to consider how symbols transform with personal and collective evolution. Editor: So, the whole scene is this blend of personal history and deeper universal stories? Curator: Precisely. "Axis Mundi," a place of connection between realms. Joshua Flint uses a vocabulary of recognizable symbols, blurring the boundaries between representation and memory, to hint at a complex symbolic language beneath it all. How do you see the relationship between symbols and cultural continuity now? Editor: It’s like he’s using a common visual language to tap into something deeply personal and universal at the same time. Thanks for opening my eyes to all of that. Curator: My pleasure. It’s through these visual cues that cultural memory finds continuous meaning.