A cosmographic consisting of 8 images, a cosmographic functions to partially en-frame an understanding of nature or the universe. In this case entangled forms within a relationship to seasonal transition and the fireplace. From top clockwise, The Holly King, associated with neopagan traditions and the transition of the winter/summer opposed to the Oak King, the two are engaged in a perpetual “battle” reflecting seasonal cycles of the year, the Holly King gains power at the Autumn Equinox, peaking at the Winter solstice.
To the right we have a column made of mass produced Ikea blankets. Below that there is a representation of the oak king as well as the yule log in the form of a block of wood.
Beneath that is the candle a representation of the cultivation of phenological processes in order to support life at various points of the year.
In the centre bottom is a Nordmann Fir, one of the most common trees grown commercially as a Christmas tree it is favoured for its attractive foliage, with needles that are not sharp and do not drop readily when the tree dries out. The Christmas tree tradition represents life ongoing through winter, the Holly King opposite represents transitional thresholds.
To the left of the tree ascending towards the Ikea blankets is a hunter from Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s painting Hunters in the Snow (1565), a painting famed for its depiction of winter, the hunters return with a meagre catch to a village that is full of winter activity.
Above the hunter is an image of a Bûche De Noël, or a “yule log” cake cooked by Mary Berry, an iconic figure in British baking. It represents the transition of the log opposite towards a different state and a different form of consumption.
Above this is a photograph of a snowflake taken through a microscope by Wilson A Bentley in 1890, the snowflake is threatened by the candle on the opposite site of the cosmographic.