Ancient Celtic knot work usually appeared in illuminated manuscripts like the famous Book of Kells….
If I believe in past lives, (do I? still debating)... I swear I worked on the Book of Kells. Spirals, endless knots, interlaced patterns, plaits, and woven cords live in my soul.
The knots represent infinite eternity because they often never end. They symbolize the interdependence of our spiritual and material selves.
I too, see the world around me as interconnected, interweaving pieces of a greater whole.
There’s a big difference though, in the ancient knot-work and how I use knotting in my own, more recent work….
My lines are still endlessly knotted, but now I release them from a pattern. Instead they twist and wind their way all over the place -freestyle.
The unique freestyle knotting technique I developed over the years represents my past and my present. I’m of a culture, yet I’m separate from it. My great-grandparents’ home is unknown to me and I left my own hometown too…
I’m freestyle, twisting and winding my away around the world, free of any pattern imposed upon me. I don’t work 9-5 for someone else…
…I dance like nobody’s watching, and it’s not the waltz. I gave myself a new name. I married late. I’m a psychonaut, a traveler, and a vegan…
I do it my way, for better or for worse (and there are sacrifices)…I’ve worked hard to be so, but I’m unashamedly, unabashedly freestyle…
The gorgeous animated story of The Secret of Kells is all about going freestyle too, just in a different way… Leaving the confines of safety, exploring nature and our inner worlds, and returning to put it to paper… Put it in your Netflix queue if you still need to watch it…
Artists, do you incorporate any ancient traditions into your own art? Art-lovers, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
xo, Meghan
meghanoonacliffordblog.com 