LEONIE SPECHT
LEONIE SPECHT

Insects

Insects, through a symbolic lense, make me think of the locusts in the Bible or the fly and the devil. I think of queen bees and army ants. Insects are often associated with hell, devils, witches and demons. They can also serve as a guardian spirit or a talisman.

Insects are the basis for the functioning of ecosystems. Many soil-dwelling insects ensure that dead animals decompose and simultaneously fertilize the soil. They are important building blocks in the food chain, as they provide food for a whole range of species like birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

They can be a somewhat loaded symbol as insect plagues resulted in major famines for most of history. Insects are close to dirt, decay, decomposition and death.

Swarms of locusts are described as a punishment from God. Especially smaller insects can convey a feeling of intrusiveness and violation of boundaries. They get through the smallest cracks, nest as vermin in houses and hair.

In ancient Egypt, the Scarabaeus, a dung beetle was dedicated to the sun god Re. It is regarded as a symbol of resurrection and rebirth.

“Live insect jewelry” is a custom where bejeweled living insects like beetles and cockroaches are worn as a fashion accessory on a small chain, much like a brooch.

In Goethe's Faust, Mephistopheles calls himself "the lord of rats and mice, of flies, frogs, bugs and lice." In Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning transformed into a bug, becomes an outcast and finally dies. In Hieronymus Boschs painting Last Judgement the rebel angels come down from the sky as insects.

Many insects undergo a transformation and turn out as completely different-looking adult insects, therefore being a symbol for transformation. In German, the Schädling and the Nützling are closely related, one harming an ecosystem while the other helps it thrive.

Bees, butterflies and some beetles have a more positive connotation. Nowadays, we’re confronted with a massive insect decline. The main drivers are intensive agriculture, the climate crisis, urbanization and soil sealing as well as the high use of pesticides.

Gargoyle

To me, the gargoyle is a grotesque being that despite its rather dark appearance inherits a wholesome and protective aura.

A gargoyle is a carved figurine with a spout designed to control the flow of rainwater off the roof to prevent erosion of the building – the gargoyle not only energetically wards off evil spirits, but very literally protects a building from damage, typically through its open mouth.

Gargouille (fr.) in English means "to gurgle" or “throat”. Consequently, they are mostly elongated fantastical animals as their size determines how far water is directed from the wall.

A French legend says that La Gargouille was a dragon with bat-like wings, a long neck, and the ability to breathe fire from its mouth. The monster was supposed to be burnt, but wouldn’t, being tempered by its own fire breath. Its head was then mounted on the walls of the newly built church in Rouen and assigned to protect it.

In contemporary culture, the term gargoyle has come to include a spectrum of imagery, like humorous combinations of real animals and people, and even chimeras and grotesques that are solely decorative.

From the 18th century, only very few buildings using gargoyles were constructed. As the culture changed, drainpipes replaced the gargoyle in architecture. For that reason, they are best spotted on medieval or gothic buildings.

Hermit crab
 
Hermit crabs are Crustaceans that occupy found discarded shells (produced by aquatic snails). In the hermit crabs existence, I find several elements that draw my attention.

The crab itself, with strong claws and a vulnerable body, the shell as the crabs home (a limited resource amongst hermit crabs) and sometimes even an anemone that lives on the shell in a symbiotic relationship. The crab gains camouflage and protection and the anemone gets around for food – a full circle moment.

Hermit crabs are closely related to lobsters and live up to 70 years up to the size of a coconut. They are found in almost all marine environments. The crab, being a sign of the zodiac, is a nocturnal animal influenced by the cycles of the moon and tides. The cancer (one of three water signs) rules the breast and stomach area, surrounded by the protective ribs.

Symbolically, the hermit crab reminds me of Diogenes who lived in a barrel. The crab, a nomad, represents resilience, adaptability, and protection.

As crabs have a powerful grip, in ancient times, crab claws were worn as amulets for protection. The crab lives in its armor-like exoskeleton (symbolizing introspection and personal space) and undergoes periodic molt shedding for growth – literal cyclical rebirth.
 
The dimension of the shell is imperative: hermit crabs with undersized shells can’t grow as fast, and are more prone to attacks. Several species have been observed forming vacancy chains to exchange shells with up to 20 participating crabs. Because of environmental pollution, hermit crabs will use trash as shell substitute which poses a lot of danger for them.

The shell is a symbolic bridge between the physical and the supernatural realm. Consisting of precious inner chambers, it offers a hidden depth that is shiny and pearlescent. The shell being an essential factor for the survival of each individual, shell fighting is a common behavior in which the attacker crab attempts to steal the shell of another.

Mutation

Mutation is defined as a permanent change in the structure of genetic material. Originated from Latin „mutare“, it literally means to change.

Through a symbolic lense, it represents transformation on the most fundamental material plane – at cell level. It is the process behind the origin of all-that-lives, embodying beginning and end simultaneously.

The consequences of mutation can be visible and invisible, harmless as well as threatening. Though, random changes of DNA can cause diseases – what was less known to me – is that biodiversity is only possible through the process of mutation.

Every human being has 100-200 new mutations in their DNA. Most of them do not alter the organisms gene expression, therefore are not expressed (harmless). Among others, albinism and red-green color deficiency are results of genetic mutation.

External factors like radioactivity can cause massive, life-threatening changes in reproduction cells, but long-term, through constant mutation over generations, living beings were shown to establish at least some level of resistance against such threats.

The baseline that struck me in my research is, that ultimately, all that lives was once created by mutation.

Mutative energy constitutes change as a fundamental part of existence. The wide spectrum made possible, on an individual level, made me see elements of mutation in my artistic practice. The constant growth and change, necessary to move forward, driven by an unknown force that means to adapt and expand.

The Fool

In preparation for my solo show, I did some research on the archetype of the fool.
Being a playful, upbeat energy, the fool represents new beginnings that do not require reason or a plan.

The fool, armed with his little bindle of wisdom and knowledge, does have neither a fixed home, nor a destiny. The fool is one of a kind, and at the same time speaks deeply to the challenges of existence for each one of us. Immature and naive, he sets off to discover the vast treasures within him.

For my painting “Fools” I chose a selection of unserious creatures to establish a “Gesamtbild”, an overview essentially, of beings that radiate this essence. Mostly animals are depicted for the innocence they inherit, which is an essential quality of the fool.

A baby riding a goat and an elf accompany the individuals on the panel of fools.
In unity, they ask us to leave our comfort zone – even if we don’t have all the information available required to accurately calculate a desired outcome.

Being “foolish”, being ridiculous and absurd, how does it serve us channeling the qualities of the fool in our lives? In earlier times, performing tricks on the street and making people laugh was the destiny of the fool. The closest translation to what is consumable “fool energy” nowadays is comedy and entertainment in the broadest sense. How much is lost, though, when this portal remains a one-way street?

The manifestation of the fool at its core invites us to gain back these childlike and joyful traits ourselves. The fool in Tarot can be placed at the beginning, or the end of a deck, which in essence means coming full circle, similar to the idea of the ouroboros.

The omnipresence of folly throughout life is weirdly tied to the everlasting challenges presented to us. Animals are faced with an infinite amount of challenges, as means to reproduce and survive against all odds, and so are we. Many animals have a distinct playful energy about them, one example are dolphins. Connecting with the aura of a certain animal can help us channel fool energy in our own lives.