Water Serpent 2 - Joy Kirton Smith

Artist Joy Kirton-Smith discusses her latest publications  Water Serpent 1 & 2.

"My images of the female form, vibrant colours, intricate patterns and use of gold have much in common with the work of Gustav Klimt.

I spent five days in Vienna over the Easter holiday, 2008, in order to study the techniques of Klimt first hand. I was also able to obtain further reference from the excellent Tate Gallery in Liverpool which held an exhibition of Klimt and the Weiner Werkstatte (Vienna Workshop) in the summer of 2008 whilst it was designated the European City of Culture.

Gustav Klimt was one of seven children, born in a small town in Austria in 1862. His father was an engraver. Gustav became an art student in Vienna at the age of 14. He was joined by his brother, Georg, who became an accomplished goldsmith. Clearly, this family background had a significant influence on Klimts work. Georg would produce elaborate frames in tooled copper to compliment Gustavs paintings. Similar to the way I work, Gustav would work slowly and thoughtfuly on each painting. He was quoted as saying " Better to spend ten days on one thing than to produce ten things in one day."

Gustav Klimt played a pivotal role in the formation of The Secession in 1897. The movement was soon to become world famous. The Viennese Secession was a progressive group of artists and artisans driven by a desire for innovation and renewal. Klimt and his close friend,Joseph Hofman, an architect and furniture designer, also founded the Weiner Werkstatte.

I have been heavily influenced by Klimts painting, Water Serpent 1, completed in 1907. It was chronicled at the time as a work of extraordinary delectability; I constantly wonder what the symbolic significance of the serpent was.

I have previously used the image of a serpent in "Temptation" and "The Story of Adam and Eve". Here, the serpent was regarded as evil, tempting Eve to commit the original sin by eating the forbidden fruit. However, in Greek mythology, the serpent has a completely different significance. The rod of Asclepius is prominent in ancient astrology. It consists of a serpent entwined around a staff. Asclepius was the son of Apollo and a practitioner in medicine. His rod symbolises the healing arts. The serpent, by shedding its skin, represents rebirth and fertility. The staff is a symbol of authority, befitting the God of Medicine. The image is still used today by many national and international medical associations.

I share Klimts ideal of "rebirth and fertility" in art, which I display in my symbolic use of the serpent."