The trickster archetype is one of my favorite motifs to revisit from time to time. This painting wasn’t created for any purpose other than wanting to be reminded not to take life too seriously. The ancient Greeks gave us Hermes, Krishna in India, Kitsune in Japan, and Coyote in Native American stories. They appear to ruffle folk’s feathers, usually with entertaining intentions. Though less funny when your own pants are down around your ankles, or worse. Traditionally comedians, magicians, and artists shake up society’s status quo. Characters like Bug Bunny, Jack Sparrow, and The Joker smile wickedly at civility. Saturday Night Live, The Onion, and The Daily Show continue to keep us honest.
Does this painting capture that relationship? No, it’s more open-ended than narrating a scene. I wanted to conjure the spirit of the sentiment. I added the small planets afterwards digitally to give the figure a sense of manipulative power. In the future I’ll either develop this fellow further or, as is fitting, allow the persona to shapeshift again into a yet another form.
If you’re interested in the subject I highly recommend Trickster Makes This World by Lewis Hyde.