fly eye

This image must certainly fly in the face of sound judgement. (or a bad pun)

This returns to the 17th C notion of vanitas, the decay of beauty as expressed in so many northern european paintings. The used flowers drooping, insects crawling, skulls and any other clever analogy of decay and death they could think of. (this is obviously before the time of Quentin Tarantino and his unique view of death)

The artists painted like angels but had to justify their pursuit of beauty by showing a neat little lesson packaged into the virtuoso smears of paint, or else they would have been seen as show offs and arrogant technicians.Gee.... one only needs to look at that famous self portrait by Durer to see that he was pretty taken by himself. And not one insect in sight.

There is something so inherently filthy about flies...or is it just our reaction to them? Or is it because they seem to flock to anything stinky?

No matter... here I have juxtaposed a fly with the body part that is seen as the window of the soul. Such a wonderfully old notion and so gleefully poetic.

Although flies are now studied for their ability to fly and be so small at the same time.

Apparently fly larvae or maggots as they are called, are the best source of pure protein to be found. Just try and imagine that they are quivering grains of rice and tuck in....

Insects are so brilliantly designed, so clever and visually varied, so full of fabulous texture and colour. Not only that but they are wonderful to draw.

I hear the hounds baying, must be time for the hunt. Lets hope I can bag something in my dreadfully sober condition.

I really must.....fly?