Fire and Eyes

What better way to herald the arrival of a summer solstice than by releasing a work depicting polar bears exchanging glances with iris-emblazoned spheres of flaming soapstone in the far north on the very day? Those who previewed a partially-completed image featuring the bears alone wondered what the ice giants might be looking at (or for). However, the completed illustration yields an answer that confounds such expectations for it is the bears that are being observed, but to what end? Both parties seem caught by surprise, resulting in a stalemate of cautious curiosity with each side looking for meaning and motive as a potential friend or foe in the other. Maybe the scenario embodies a much more subtle message, one of introspection and acknowledgement of the unknown quantities that reside both within and without ourselves, only to reveal themselves for whatever purpose no matter when, how, why, or where. Perhaps the sum and substance of this particular concept is best derived from impressions and perspectives apart from those of its author: those external interpretations and visions as diverse, fanciful, and unexpected as the minds that bring them to bear (or bears, as the case may be).