JASON BRAMMER  |  “AXIS MUNDI” Series: 2011 - present

“This is a series of mixed media paintings and graphite drawings inspired by symbology, alchemy, and spiritual iconography. The central concept, Axis Mundi (meaning, ‘axis of the world’), is the still point around which all of the universe is rotating and has been thought of as a portal between the earthly and heavenly realms in various religious and mythological traditions. In some pieces, this ‘center’ is shown as a glowing light, symbolizing a place beyond time and beyond what the senses perceive, and as you move outward there is rust and decay, representing the impermanent and temporal nature of life. In other works, I’ve used the image of a horizon where primordial ocean waters meet an endless expanse of sky.

I have also been influenced by an array of esoteric symbols, mandalas, and other images that early alchemists and philosophers used to create a visual representation of the cosmos. A common thread in this series is the use of circular or mandalic shapes and patterns, signifying a state of no beginning and no end, as well as the ‘all-seeing eye’, which points to a consciousness observing the material world. I’ve also included alchemical symbols in many of the drawings to allude to the merging of dualities (such as sun & moon, fire & water, or male & female). I have been fascinated by the notion of the alchemist’s quest to turn lead into gold as a metaphor for personal transformation and purification.”