Uranography of The Chained Lady - Nicole Irene
Nicole Irene, Uranography of the Chained Lady, mixed media, 12” x 12”, 2019.
Lady of the heavens
Visible on moonless nights
Luminous fertility goddess
Manifested as a glittering tessellation
Embed in the firmament by the Greek goddess Athene
Betwixt the constellations
The twin fish separate you and the briny behemoth
Pisces shielding you from your foe
Daughter of insipid King Cepheus and vainglorious Queen Cassiopeia
Oh, innocent Andromeda
With your kin culpable for your quandary
Misfortune befalls you on account of your matriarch
Cassiopeia whose pride knew no bounds
Possessed supercilious characteristics which led to her demise
Eventually the monarch’s hubris compelled her to boast
Foolishly declaring her daughter more beautiful than the Nereids
Antagonizing an exceptionally alluring group of water spirits
Saliferous nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus
The arrogant African Queen of Aethiopia had finally gone too far
Gravely insulted, the ethereal sea maidens became irate
Outraged sirens petitioned Poseidon to punish Cassiopeia for her insolence
The wrath of the ruling god of the sea was fixated upon the kingdom
Unpredictable violence of the okeanós a mark of his disposition
Poseidon decreed that Andromeda be tendered as prey for the monster Cetus
In despair the feeble king consulted the wise Oracle of Apollo
However, no respite would be granted by the seer
Defending his kingdom demanded the surrender of his daughter
Condemned to be devoured
Only Andromeda’s sacrifice would appease the gods
Martyred to the aquatic beast
The princess was chained to a rock near the ocean
Andromeda the atonement for the sins of her mother
Navigating a chariot of hippocamps
Wielding a trident crafted by the three Cyclopes
Crowned with a shining aureole
The Olympian commanded the leviathan to devastate Cepheus’ kingdom
Thereupon Cetus was to ravage Andromeda as divine punishment
Unclothed and forsaken on an outcrop of coastal rock
Shackled to the bluffs the princess was left to be consumed
Set to be a tithe to satiate the serpentine fiend
Fearfully awaiting Cetus
On the wave-lashed cliffs The Chained Lady trembled
Pale with terror she wept pitifully at her impending fate
With bitter remorse the wicked queen watched
The Gorgon defeated
Astride Pegasus the champion reveled
Intoxicated with his exploit of beheading Medusa
Triumphant Perseus flew by the kingdom of Cepheus
With trophy in hand
Our hero happened by a marble figure of wonderful beauty
Obscured by the salty swell she was mistaken for statuary
Suddenly a brackish breeze ruffled her hair
Rivulets of warm tears streamed down her cheeks
Somber whimpersrevealed she was human
His heart was captivated by the frail maiden in distress
Perseus fell in love with her at prima facie
Perseus inquired about her bewildering state
Though awaiting a horrible death
Shy Andromeda did not at first reply
Mortified she desired to dissolve into the craggy façade
Perseus relentless in his questioning
Eventually uncovered the particulars of her predicament
With a vow of marriage to compensate him
Perseus pledged to slay the monster
Wearing Hades's helm the wing-footed lover approached Cetus
The sea-dragon’s slavering jaws emerged from the ocean
Invisible Perseus drove his diamond sword into the serpent’sback
Subsequently turning it to stone with the Gorgon’s head in the end
Having slew the monster
Perseus set Andromeda free
Despite being promised to her uncle Phineus
They were wed
The aftermath upon her
Cassiopeia feared Poseidon’s unstable temperament
The volatile sovereign of the sea sought vengeance
Retribution for her arrogance
Cassiopeia was exiled to the boreal welkin
Banishment the consequence for enraging Poseidon
Perilously perched upon a throne of torture
Forced to wheel around the North Celestial Pole
Maniacally enjoying her hand mirror
The looking glass a symbol of her narcissism
Viciously grasping her dais as to not fall off
Cassiopeia’s spends eternity clinging to her celestial cathedra
Biography
Through research on various cultural mythologies and legends, Nicole, writes prose to accompany her multi-media artworks. Using rhythmic text and swells of pigment, she speaks to the wonders and realities of the paradoxical world around us.
Art instructor, aspiring poet, and mixed media artist, Nicole, creates in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. A gem + mineral enthusiast, eclectic solitary, and consciousness explorer she believes in magic and is moved by the beauty of the nocturnal sky, astronomical phenomena, metaphysics, and cosmology. Nicole attempts to unfold the delicate fabric of epistemic moments of knowing. The workings of the universe within ourselves and around us fascinates her while contemplations of these mysteries manifest as conversions populated with textural vibrations, colorful swells and rhythmic compositions in her artwork. Nicole is a practitioner of herbal medicine, empyreal dreamer, and an alchemical philosopher who dwells in a derelict apple orchard surrounded by an extensive collection of houseplants, geological specimens and creature companions.
Contact
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