Zodiac c. 1980s

This artwork by Patrick Nagel features a woman wearing a jacket emblazoned with the sign of Cancer, a zodiac symbol. The crab is an ancient symbol, linked to the sun’s journey and the cyclical nature of time. In ancient Egypt, the scarab beetle, another creature with a hard shell, symbolized rebirth and transformation, carrying the sun across the sky each day. The Cancer symbol reminds me of the cyclical journey through light and darkness and the way emotions can grip us, as surely as a crab's claws. The hard shell is not merely a defense but also a vessel for the soft, vulnerable self within. This symbol has resurfaced, evolving through astrology, art, and popular culture, engaging us on a subconscious level.