Description
‘Of Small Lights That Flash Once And Become Dark Again’ by Jeannie Lynn Paske
Artist: Jeannie Lynn Paske
Title: ‘Of Small Lights That Flash Once And Become Dark Again’
Medium: Watercolour, pastel, powdered pigment, varnish, graphite and ink on Arches 300 lb. watercolour paper
Dimensions: 10.5″ x 12″
Framing: Unframed
Year of Creation: 2020
About the Artwork:
“The other day I read an interesting article about living on in a computer after death. Basically, scanning an individual’s brain so that after they pass away there would be sufficient detail to build a mental duplicate which could exist inside a simulated world. Although preserving someone’s consciousness in a computer so that they could potentially live forever seems like a fascinating idea in itself, it got me thinking about the idea of a spirit- if indeed we carry one with us. If there actually is such a thing as a soul or ghost of ourselves which exists either here on earth or elsewhere in some sort of an afterlife, what would happen to it should we start uploading ourselves into this virtual universe? Would the ghosts themselves be trapped inside computers or would they hang out, devoid of any real substance, aimlessly floating through time and space in search of something else just as equally empty to haunt? Would there no longer be a ghost at all or would the living simply be ghosts to the mental duplicate existing in the other world? Beings of limited wisdom and capabilities trapped on earth until it is their turn to flee their biological bodies and live forever.
My painting was inspired by the many intriguing possibilities and all the ethical nightmares that may unfold should we as a species choose this path to immortality. I’ve created a stereotypical ghost standing in a void as the essence of its heart and head escape in the form of tiny black spirits. Ghosts within a ghost making their way out beyond the ether or perhaps only crossing over into some sort of digital eternity.” – Jeannie Lynn Paske
About the Artist:
(Artist Bio)
Jeannie Lynn Paske is a self-taught artist from Portland, Oregon who creates introspective work under the name Obsolete World. Using a mix of watercolor, charcoal, pastel, graphite, varnish and ink, she designs richly textured illustrations of peculiar creatures in thought-provoking settings. The mysteries of life, loss and loneliness are reoccurring themes, and her compositions often focus on the strange and unexplained. Many of her pieces reference philosophy with a nod to both the melancholy and humorous. Her soft sparse environments suggest a warm, dreamlike state, and the emotional imagery paired with her poetic titles help to convey a sense of gentle curiosity in her work.