joyce metayer | artist's statement | vita

Inspired and abstracted from the erotic center of the flower of the Tuliapan tree growing on the southern coast of Mexico, "In The Beginning II" (above, from the cover of the April 04 issue) celebrates the relationship between us and our ecology...we are the earth; the earth is us. [ click on images to enlarge ] THE VERNAL ASTROLABE This piece was inspired by a 15th century astrolabe, and it is about the cycles of nature and time. The circular panel of numbers -- from 1 to 29 1/2 -- represents one lunar cycle. The interior landscape is divided into panels representing the earth in spring, winter, fall and summer under a night sky, and the twelve outside “pockets” represent the months. 41” Diameter x 6” Deep THE BIRTH OF THE BLUES "The Birth of the Blues” is about that exuberant explosion of energy that accompanies important nascent occasions. This birthing moment is depicted in the primordial sacred circle—acknowledging that those special “birthings” continue to reoccur. 47” Diameter x 6” Deep TRIPLE GODDESS - THE CRONE ASPECT The Triple Goddess—the maiden, the mother, and the crone—is an ancient concept that describes the three stages of a woman’s life. This piece speaks about the crone aspect of this concept. The hot, red vaginal V’s are connected with the “old women’s violet”, and they disappear back in space to a black void. The black center-V represents the “angel of death” in a winged form. The bouquet of V’s sits in a glowing light, acknowledging the wise women who radiate their power. 44” Diameter x 6” Deep

JOYCE METAYER by julie parker Joyce Metayer stands in front of and facing her work, feet planted firmly and powerfully on the earth, hands on her hara, as she explains how she births her work—how her inner vision emerges into three dimensions. Literally three dimensions, for these pieces are intricately-constructed canvases of mind-boggling complexity [see below]. She explains how she projects her sketch for a piece onto the wall to determine its appropriate size, then moves forward and back until the size is just so—until she literally feels it in her hara. This visceral connection to her work is so strong it seems almost visible...a cord from womb to work, as it were. Lisa Sarasohn, on her website honoringyourbelly.com, states: "In the Japanese language, the word hara refers both to the belly and to the qualities of character that emerge as a person activates the life force concentrated in the belly. A person of hara is one who lives with creativity, courage, confidence, purpose, integrity, and endurance." I am blessed to count her among my friends, and I can attest that Joyce Metayer is indeed a woman of hara. Perhaps it is because her work is so much about the manifestation of life force into form that her own life force is continually strengthened: experiencing her work is a reminder of woman's special gift as progenitor. We invite you to experience her work yourself online at wnc-woman.com/joycemetayer and read more about her, then join us this summer at one of our monthly WNC WOMAN gatherings where you can meet her and see her work in person. We'll announce in a later issue (and via our e-newsletter) which month you can meet Joyce and see samples of her work. In the meantime, you can reach her at joyce@wnc-woman.com. [ See also Joyce's In the Beginning on this month's cover. ] JOYCE METAYER SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF TRIPLE GODDESS, SHOWN BOTTOM LEFT