Altar of John

Altar of John
Oil on canvas
2005

1 x ( 250 x 200cm )
2 x ( 250 x 100cm )
1 x ( 35 x 210cm )
2 x ( 35 x 105cm )
2 x ( 20 x 50cm )

1.) Conceptual design of the picture:

The Altar of John borrows from fundamental Christian themes,symbolic figures and,individual motifs in general,in the bible.In the main,however,it takes up,in manifold ways and references,the Gospel according to John,his first letter as well as his vision of the apocalypse.
In doing so,the picture addresses the viewer by way of a childlike manner of presentation,decorative patterns as well as an amiable choise of colours so to offer him/her a kind of help to cope with life.
Thus,there appears a level pertaining to depth psychology coequal to theology,or rather,the two are interlocked.The Altar of John,therefore,depicts a highly symbolic illustration of the path of Jesus Christ and becomes,at the same time,a companion on the path of life of every human.

This path of life begins on the right hand panel which shows the confrontation with desires,temptations,lapses,fears,dangers and,the abyss of Hell,all deep inside the psychoanalytical IT.
By looking at the virtues and the ideals in the field of the super-ego on the left hand panel,man will rise up to Heaven.
In the centre part,those two opposing worlds are integrated positively within the now revived and self-conscious personality (depicted symbolically as a lamb in the centre of the picture) who is rock-solid,finding himself in his own earthly paradise: the snakes/dangers are brought under control,ideals are positioned with moderation,external light sources (sun and moon) are not needed by the New Man any more;he now shines himself (Cross nimbus of the lamb).
Now man walks through the elements Fire and Air towards Earth and Water;only there can he,physically and spiritually,live i.e. survive.
On his journey,man cleanses and regenerates himself as in baptism:

everyone creates himself,everyone is the third Adam.

2.) Description of the individual panels (in headwords):

a.) right hand panel:

1. body
2. psychoanalytic institution: It
3. element: Fire
4. place: Hell
5. theological virtue: Faith (Revelation,Blood)
6. cardinal virtue: Courage
7. main colours: red and green
8. light: from the moon,the flames and flashes oflightning and from the seven candles   
9. movement: through triangles standing on their tip downwards
10. pattern: flames and flashes of lightning at the top and drops of blood at the bottom
11. power: throne (Apocalypse)
12. bird: Phoenix (perishing in the flames and rising from the ashes)
13. doves (standing for the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost): strength and fear of God
14. snake: the dragon,symbol of Evil
15. plant: ivy (faithfulness and eternal life)
16. fish: on the throne and,also,swimming in the chalice
17. central motif: Christ standing in front of the throne,carrying (being the good Shepherd) a

     lamb,stepping on the head of the dragon as a sign of victory over Evil
18. secondary motifs:

- angels playing trombone (Apocalypse)
- angel with flaming sword fighting Evil (Michael in the Apocalypse)
- angel going up the seven stepped ladder to the Sun Gate on the centre panel
- chalice on a blood-stained throne,in that a snake (sign of John the Martyr)
- seven candles (Revelation of John): the elementary power/the spirit of God

- top: Omega as well as flashes of lightning and drops of blood
- around the dragon: the seven capital sins as animals: snail (idleness),centaur (pride).

  bat (envy),pig (gluttony),toad (stinginess),camel (wrath),he-goat (lust)
- symbols of vice are standing at the bottom around an ivy tree,the roots of which consist

  of snakes´bodies
- dragon and symbols of vice in a cave:
   a. John received his visions in a cave on the isle of Patmos
   b. the inmost essence of the cave is the deathly sin itself in which the damned have died,

      the self-caused absolute alienation from God.

b.) left hand panel:

1. spirit
2. psychoanalytic institution: super-ege
3. element: Heaven
4. place: Heaven
5. theological virtue: Hope
6. cardinal virtue: Justice (Scales)
7. main colours: white and blue
8. light: from the sun,the stars and the lamps
9. movement: through the triangles upwards
10. pattern: circles (for Air) as well as stars (top) and roses (bottom)
11. Reason/Logos: book (inside:roses)
12. bird: eagle ascending to spiritual heights
13. doves: reason,knowledge
14. snake: the circle as a symbol of eternal return (cycle)
15. plant: rose (Courage)
16. fish: in the eagle´s claws (Christ lets the believer(s) partake in his everlasting life)  
17. central motif: Christ standing in front of the Christian code of law;depicted as a child who is   holding i.e. strewing roses (from out of the clouds),he is reminding man once again of the wounds of the martyrs
18. secondary motifs:

- angel on clouds with palm leaves (sgn of victory)
- book with seven seals (Apocalypse)
- seven stepped ladder,leaning against the code of law book acting as a foothold/orientation
- under the ladder/around the snake: seven items which point to the seven virtues:
a.) 3 theological virtues:
Faith - sky
Hope - anchor 
Love - oven
b.) 4 cardinal virtues:
Courage - shield
Justice - sword
Intelligence - mirror
Moderation - (a pair of) glasses
- 3 intertwined circles,pointing to the Holy Trinity (shield,snake/anchor,mirror)
- beautiful lamps (stylised,for example,after the shape of a lily) depict the shape of a calyx (Acceptance/Receptiveness)
- the allegorial shape of Hope through a (female) figure is carrying (at times),on her head,a ship as a sign of change-over/transitions - Mary on the crescent of the moon: here,the ship and the crescent appear in one
- Christ´s instruments of the passion: the brushwood rod,hammer,cock(erel)(Peter´s denial),cage
- at the top: Alpha and stars and roses

c.) centre panel:

1. soul
2. psychoanalytic institution: Ego
3. element: Earth (top) and Water (bottom)
4. place: earthly paradise
5. theological virtue: Love
6. cardinal virtue: Intelligence (snake) and Moderation (skull and hour glass)
7. main colours: yellow and violet
8. light: (among others) cross nimbus of the lamb
9. movement: spirals from the bottom upwards;at the top,horizontal spirals;also at the top curved lines originating from the cross nimbus: movement towards the centre of the picture/towards the lamb
10. pattern: squares (standing for Earth) and circles (standing for Water) as well as horizontal spirals (again,standing for Earth) and vertical spirals (standing for Water yet again);strawberries at the top,grapes at the bottom
11. humility - lamb
12. bird: dove (with olive twig) - Love (and Piety/Faith per se) 
13. doves: wisdom,council and (above) piety
14. snake(s): figuring as the edge of the octagonal baptismal font,they are symbolic for intelligence and the constant renewal;symbol of Christ (just as the Rock);as a spiral: symbol of vitality and path of life from the Depth/deep down)
15. plants: (grape)vines (Moderation) and strawberry: an allegory of noble humility and humbleness,its threefold leaf symbolises the Holy Trinity;however,the strawberry can also depict a symbol of temptation regarding Lust of the World
16. fish: they jump from out of the spring resp. are swimming down below in the water

17. central motif: the lamb is standing on the rock with the flag of Victory of Easter Morning and with the cross nimbus.From the rock are flowing the four rivers of Paradies;they are running in to an octagonal baptismal font Purification and (New) Creation: the eight day of Creation = Easter/Resurrection of Christ
18. secondary motifs:

- two angels carry off the sun and the moon
- one angel is rolling in the cariopy/heavens of the left hand panel
- one angel opens the Sun Gate to the right hand panel
- the sleeping angel (next to the lamb) hallmarks people who have been specially blessed or gifted with dream visions
- top: Christ´s monogram/the sunwheel as well as strawberries and grapesmm
- bottom: skull and hour glass (Moderation)(sign of Victory)