VENDELL by Xanda McCagg

Price: NFS

Ramon’s Vendell has taken me on a journey. After reading the text about its history and characteristics; no weapons can hurt or deter this mythical troll. It is a helper and protector of travelers along their way. What is the origin of mythologies? These creatures: dwarfs and giants, good and evil the stories about them that give guidance, protection, hope or explain the unknown. I imagined early humans in groups or tribes. Perhaps one person was different and cast out or there might have been ones who isolates themselves all becoming the stuff of folklore and myth. Through story and time, shared from one person to another and evolving as each individual expressed their own understanding of the tale. These ideas connected to my work with the icon concept and more recently thoughts about totems. So, I began to make 2 painting stacked as one- relating to each other with colors, line, and space. Gluing the 3 primary colors to the head of Vendell to begin the connect to my colors, mixed on the canvases. 2 8x8in in dialogue with each other or perhaps 4 or 6 depending on the placement and space between them. Thinking of the eye and brain and how they read and process information – Thinking about perception. Then a war started far away. A terrible invasion of one country into another; the Ukraine, under attack by a terrible Russian ruler. The colors took on a new meaning as did my Vendell’s powers to ward of weapons and help people traveling … fleeing moving unprepared from their home in to the unknown. I suddenly saw the colors of the Ukrainian flag in my pieces that became totems and prayers for the uprooted people of the Ukraine, all inspired my troll Vendell.