May / May Day / Taurus the Bull
The month of May was named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was later identified with the Roman era goddess Bona Dea ("The Good Goddess"), whose festival was held in May. As a divinity she was associated with chastity and fertility in women, with healing, and was a protector of the people. She also embodied the concept of growth, as her name is related to the Latin words maius or maior meaning "major, larger, or greater." In addition, her name is connected to the maiores as "ancestors," meaning those who are greater in terms of generational precedence.
Maia was honored as the great nurturer in Greek mythology. The ancient Greek writer Aeschylus identifies Maia "the nursing mother" with Gaia "the Earth." On several occasions he calls the earth-goddess Gaia Maia (Earth Mother).
Maia the major lies liesurely atop a large black bull, being led by a fair young girl who is obviously her little Juno (from the Latin word iuniore, meaning "junior" or "younger one", as opposed to maiore as "elder"). And as naturally as June follows May, Maia nurtures her Juno in the practice of taming wild nature. Maia sits confidently atop the powerful beast, as Juno takes the reins.
It should also be noted that April, May and June are popular girls names in American culture, and that Vincent makes girls and women central to those three compositions in his Months of the Year series.
Although the black bull connotes masculine qualities of physical strength and vigor, endurance and hard work, it also connotes the fertility and energy of spring. But Taurus is the first female sign, and also the first earth sign in the zodiac, which taken together represents mother earth. If we explore the mythological connections of this animal in ancient cultures, we find that the bull represents the force which animates forms of all kinds. The bull symbolizes fertility, growth and the season of springtime. Growth is accelerated in spring, and Taurus displays high energy in its thoughts and movements. This sign is foremost the symbol of the joyous expression of life, the fresh innocence of the child enjoying sensory experience and the perceptions of its own young mind. The mood of this zodiac segment is that of youth, springtime, brightness, effervescence, and change.
Smarkusz created several images of women with bulls to represent both natural fertility and the taming of raw animal power in service of the human will (see "Bullfight" below). The bull thus symbolizes personal strength and determination. Long ago, mankind had domesticated the ancient Aurochs, or wild bison, to use for food (feminine/mother) and hard work (masculine/father). Worship of the Sacred Bull has been a steady theme in human civilization ever since.
Vincent was in favor of both women and men discovering their natural, God given talents as masculine and feminine beings. He fully endorsed the women's and gay liberation movements of the 1960's, and his Magic-realism art often depicts that sentiment. He was raised by strong Polish women whom he loved and respected. He also respected men who, as some would say, are in touch with their feminine side - who are empowered to be loving and creative. The artist exemplifies this with the inclusion of a strong looking young man sitting under the bull. He is playing the flute and is associated with colorful and delicate songbirds - representing him as sensitive and as melodious as they are. His proximity to the young girl and the puppy on his knee, suggest a gentle fatherliness to his character, as he plays the tune which calms the beast and socializes the occasion. He is the feminized God and parental partner to the masculine Goddess.
May Day ceremonies in America vary greatly from region to region, and many unite the holiday's "Green Root" (pagan) and "Red Root" (labor) traditions - as both an ancient spring festival, and a public holiday celebrating the working class. Celebrations were common at women's colleges and grade schools through the mid-twentieth century as a traditional celebration of spring fertility. As a boy and young man, Vincent saw inspiring visions of fair maidens dressed in lace and with flowers in their hair, dancing around the maypole. In some parts of the country May Baskets were gathered - as portayed by the woman in the bottom right corner of the scene above. These small baskets were be filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The giver would ring the bell and run away, and the person receiving the basket would try to catch the fleeing giver - and if caught, a kiss is exchanged.
The artist was of Polish descent and May Day was celebrated every Mat 1st at his school in Little Poland, Connecticut. The holiday was declared in Poland in 1899, when his mother was a young girl there, some twenty years before his birth in America. There is some political controversy regarding the Labor Day celebrations (called Swieto Pracy), as it was once the most important holiday celebrated during Poland’s Communist era. Today, the Polish people celebrate "1 Maja" by having the day off from work and school to enjoying the warm spring weather. Many music festivals and concerts occur on this date in Poland as well.
The symbolism of the maypole has been continuously debated by folklorists for centuries. Some scholars classify maypoles as symbols of the world axis (axis mundi). Another theory holds that they are a remnant of the Germanic reverence for sacred trees, as there is evidence for various sacred trees and wooden pillars that were venerated by the pagans across much of Germanic Europe. Some theorize that maypoles were simply a part of the general rejoicing at the return of summer, and the growth of new vegetation. In this way, they bore similarities with the May Day garlands which were created as a common festival practice in Britain and Ireland - like the one which graces the wheel atop the pole in the scene above.
The fact that one of the participants dancing around the Maypole is a grown man, hints at Vincent's own identity or sentiments. He seems to be longing to partake in an activity most men would consider childish or girly. The man is awkwardly reaching to grab hold of a bright red ribbon which leads him out of the frame. Many of the artist's magic realism compositions contain either himself in some indirect way or some other mysterious persona that prompts the viewer to ask the deeper question of who and why. Although the entire scene is one of confidence and joy, the man hidden behind the pole adds a note of sadness and sympathy. He is striving to attain an elusive happiness, and feels a need to belong within the celebration in a way that he somehow does not fit. Many artists and poets feel the bittersweet contrast between the need to seemlessly blend with community and the loneliness which results from their individualist calling. Meanwhile, the wheel of the world goes round and round and round .....
"Bullfight" by Vincent Smarkusz
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