Washing the Seven Stars Nine Times Michele Gold

The composition presents a complex layering of imagery and texture, immediately establishing a sense of dreamlike disorientation. The background is dominated by a dense, textured surface in shades of ochre, gold, and muted green, suggesting both earthiness and an ethereal quality. This backdrop appears fragmented, with areas seemingly peeled away or eroded, contributing to the overall feeling of instability.
Within this field, a central rectangular frame draws the eye. Inside, we see a figure rendered in a skeletal form, draped in what seems to be antiquated clothing – a long robe or tunic. The figure is positioned in an upward gesture, as if reaching towards something beyond its grasp. This posture evokes themes of aspiration, struggle, and perhaps futility. The face, though skeletal, retains a degree of expressiveness, hinting at a lingering humanity despite the evident decay.
Below this central scene, a series of organic forms – resembling aquatic creatures or stylized plant life – emerge from a darker area. These shapes are painted in shades of green and gold, contrasting with the warmer tones above and adding another layer of symbolic complexity. Their placement suggests an underlying current, a hidden world that both supports and threatens the figure’s upward striving.
Above the central frame, a large eye is depicted, its iris filled with what appears to be a starry sky. This prominent feature introduces a sense of surveillance or divine observation. The number 9 is positioned near this eye, potentially acting as a key to understanding the works symbolic system – perhaps referencing cycles, repetitions, or a specific numerological significance.
The painting’s subtexts appear to revolve around themes of mortality, spiritual yearning, and the cyclical nature of existence. The skeletal figure embodies the inevitability of death while simultaneously striving for something beyond it. The eye above suggests a higher power observing this struggle, while the aquatic forms below represent the primal forces that shape human destiny. The fragmented background and overall texture contribute to an atmosphere of decay and transformation, implying that nothing is permanent and everything is in flux. The work seems to explore the tension between earthly limitations and transcendent aspirations, leaving room for multiple interpretations regarding faith, loss, and the search for meaning within a transient world.