"Calling of the Sheut"
The Ancient Egyptians believed that a human
existence was comprised of many distinct parts,
all of which were necessary to form a whole being:
Khat - physical body
Ka - vital force
Ab - center of thought
Ren - true name
Ba - character
Sheut - shadow
All elements of a person were highly regarded
but the Sheut was of great import. The Sheut was
cast by the Sun which was revered by the Egyptians
and influenced much of their culture. Additionally,
the shadow was always in company of the person
from whom it was cast so it was considered to hold
characteristics of that individual. Furthermore, the
shadow was visible like the physical form. These
views led the Egyptians to consider the Sheut
to be a second self.
To keep the Sheut safe, protective accommodations
known as shadow boxes were kept by each individual
to provide it a place of residence.
Although viewed as a component of its owner, it
was also seen as a separate style of existence.
This brought forth the use of 'Sheut' as a term to
describe statues or paintings of a human. This
artwork was usually depicted as a small human
figure outlined or filled in with black.
existence was comprised of many distinct parts,
all of which were necessary to form a whole being:
Khat - physical body
Ka - vital force
Ab - center of thought
Ren - true name
Ba - character
Sheut - shadow
All elements of a person were highly regarded
but the Sheut was of great import. The Sheut was
cast by the Sun which was revered by the Egyptians
and influenced much of their culture. Additionally,
the shadow was always in company of the person
from whom it was cast so it was considered to hold
characteristics of that individual. Furthermore, the
shadow was visible like the physical form. These
views led the Egyptians to consider the Sheut
to be a second self.
To keep the Sheut safe, protective accommodations
known as shadow boxes were kept by each individual
to provide it a place of residence.
Although viewed as a component of its owner, it
was also seen as a separate style of existence.
This brought forth the use of 'Sheut' as a term to
describe statues or paintings of a human. This
artwork was usually depicted as a small human
figure outlined or filled in with black.
From the "Narratives" series, 2016.
10" x 6 1/2" $300USD
Photograph on 100% cotton rag. Limited edition of 25 prints.