Oh! Infamous miracle. The life tree blooms. c. 20th century

Curator: This intricate etching, titled "Oh! Infamous miracle. The life tree blooms." is by Donald J. Handel. It's currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks like an esoteric diagram, almost a coded world. So dense with symbols. I'm immediately drawn to the swirling vortex to the right. Curator: Indeed. The life tree motif is prevalent across cultures. Handel's piece seems to synthesize various mythologies, perhaps exploring themes of interconnectedness and the cyclical nature of existence. Editor: The figures within the tree's "branches" appear like scenes from various creation myths, all contained within this unifying arboreal form. The mandala on the left stabilizes the vortex, though. Curator: It's interesting how Handel's visual language blends traditional iconography with a distinctly modern, almost surreal sensibility. I wonder what sociopolitical narratives are woven into this? Editor: It feels like a personal cosmology rendered with painstaking detail, a testament to the enduring power of symbols to express something beyond language.