Myth of America in Nicole Foran’s Rattlesnake Artwork

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Table of Contents

Analysis
Interpretation
References

Rattlesnake is a poignant meditation on extinction and loss. The combined impact of environmental devastation and the annihilation of indigenous peoples and cultures imbue Nicole Foran’s 2008 collage with a haunting quality, and a tangible sense of guilt, thanks to her personal contribution to environmental destruction – the paper waste inherent to her creation. The artist unites her acknowledged fascination with romanticized old West imagery, her concern for ecological destruction, and her artistic talent to create a chilling depiction of life after ecological death. Shown recently as part of the “Wild Culture: Ecological Perspectives” art exhibit at the Roy C. Moore Gallery in Georgia, Rattlesnake hums with symbolism and a longing for all that is past.

Rattlesnake, Nicole Foran’s 2008 collage of aqua print paper and ribbon, exhibited recently as part of the “Wild Culture: Ecological Perspectives” art show at the Roy C. Moore Gallery in Georgia. It is part of the artist’s Recycled Stories project that included works from 2007 through 2010.

In Rattlesnake, Foran seeks to “…come to terms with the paper waste involved in art-making” (Foran, 2007). To this end, Foran employs images of environmental destruction, extinction, and indigenous animal and vegetation symbolism to evoke a longing for all that has been lost, and to highlight the implicit guilt of those who have done nothing to arrest its departure, or worse, have hastened it (Foran, 2007).

Analysis

Rattlesnake is 30 by 44 inches, oblong, with deliberate and careful use of color contrast that pulls the viewer towards the violent, bloody sunset at the center-right of the canvas. In Rattlesnake, color tells a story. That which is dead – the buffalo – is far more splendid and colorful than that which is alive – the rattlesnake and the cactus. In fact, the buffalo and the sunset comprise the only real color in the piece. The moon is a cold, grayish orb that evokes nuclear winter. The pale cactus barely registers as flora. The rattlesnake has completely faded. Foran’s conscious use of color creates a glorious past, contrasted with a jealous present.

Similarly, barren, bleached grays, blues, and browns dominate Rattlesnake’s landscape. Color in this way indicates desertification and underscores Foran’s ecological concerns.

Balance underpins Foran’s thesis that the present feels bereft, ecologically speaking, and so gazes longingly towards the brilliant past. The five objects – the sun, the buffalo, the sunset, the cactus, and the rattlesnake – are carefully grouped to create the vastest possible distances between each. This spacing creates a narrative, namely, that these distances can never be overcome.

The one exception to the otherwise extensive use of space – the proximity of the rattlesnake to the cactus – conveys a different meaning, one that will be covered in depth in the interpretation section.

Emphasis and size play a large role in conveying Foran’s message also. She has situated the primary focal point, the sunset, center right, and made it the largest element of the piece. The sunset plays a dual role in the work. First, in its traditional symbolic manifestation, the sunset represents the inevitability of the end. The buffalo, strategically positioned in front of the sunset, provides a clear metaphor for the impending extinction of the environment. Secondly, its composition – the fierceness of the red and yellow ribbon, and the ragged, torn edges of the paper clustered around the ribbon – intimate the violence associated with the loss not only of the buffalo but also of indigenous culture itself.

Interpretation

Foran’s artist statement speaks of the myth of America so prevalent in her work, and her desire to preserve it (Foran, 2010). Survivor guilt, and that longing for what is gone, roots the emotional effect of the piece. Foran also speaks of her belief, stemming from a childhood fantasy, that animals can talk (Foran, 2010). In Rattlesnake, both the buffalo and the rattlesnake speak – to the viewer, on one level, but also to each other. How Foran creates this dialogue is through the use of an important indigenous symbol – the cactus. Many indigenous cultures viewed the cactus as a means to communicate with dead relatives and ancestors long passed (Stoddard, 2009). In Rattlesnake, we see the rattlesnake’s body turned towards the buffalo. The buffalo, similarly, has the rattlesnake in its eye line. Between them, the cactus, or conduit, suggests the beginning of a conversation. This communication is the work’s most hopeful element.

In Foran’s artist statement, she describes herself as “cursed with the guilt that I am now the present embodiment of one anticipated future, however, I have failed to deliver any miracles. Indeed my contribution of artwork hinders rather than helps our global environmental reconstruction” (Foran, 2007). Rattlesnake exudes this guilt. Since Foran works with paper, we see that she maintains a sense of guilt about her art. Even as it fascinates and enthralls viewers, it kills trees – it is environmentally destructive. Rattlesnake’s complex emotional landscape then becomes an extremely personal depiction of Foran’s ongoing, unresolved conflict with the environmental impact of her work.

References

Foran, N. (2007). Recycled Stories. Web.

Foran, N. (2010). Artist Statement. Web.

Stoddard, A. L. (2009). Peyote Cactus in Native American Traditions. Web.

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Myth of America in Nicole Foran’s Rattlesnake Artwork

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