Star Signs in the People’s Collection: Fire Signs

In the leadup to Art in Bloom, presented by PNC, the NCMA has partnered with local cultural and scientific institutions to organize a series of astronomically appealing events related to the elements of the zodiac—this year’s Art in Bloom theme. That means multiple opportunities to celebrate the cosmically determined peculiarities of yourself and the ones you love.

Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius), we can’t wait to see your creativity come alive at our second activation of the season. On February 28, the NCMA will team up with the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for a fire sign–inspired day of discovery in Chapel Hill. Outside the Morehead building, you’ll find a floral installation designed by Lavish Leaf of Durham. Inside the center educational demonstrations exploring the energy produced by fire will occur on the Science Stage. Morehead staff will run “flame tests,” exhibiting how fire can be used to determine the identities of different compounds and how fire is still used to produce various colors of light. We also invite you to stop by the planetarium’s latest exhibit, Hidden Lives of Stars, to explore the life cycles of stars and delve into the research of the Young Worlds Lab at UNC–Chapel Hill.

Keep reading for an art-historical examination of the works selected to illustrate the warmth and courage of fire signs.

Aries: March 21–April 19

Artist unknown, Wedding or Herder’s Blanket (khasa or kaasa landaka), early–mid 20th century

Aries—known for their tenacity, hopefulness, and integrity—are traditionally associated with the image of a ram, evoking willpower and the Greek myth of the golden fleece. Although the Wedding or Herder’s Blanket on view in West Building maintains no direct nor figurative connection to the zodiac, it is crafted from handspun and dyed sheep wool, calling to mind Aries’s symbolic form. These blankets are commissioned by women of the nomadic Fulani for their cattle- or sheep-herding husbands. They provide not only physical protection from the elements, but also spiritual protection from the “evil eye.” This particular kaasa is rich in symbols, like the kulnej gutumo (bird’s eye), speaking to its costly nature. In commissioning these blankets, Fulani women exert their power over a sector of the economy, affirming ownership of their husbands’ safety.

Leo: July 23–August 20

Anne Lemanski, Furadan Feline: panthero leo leo (African lion), 2009

Like a Leo, Anne Lemanski’s Furadan Feline: panthero leo leo (African lion) is bold and flamboyant on the surface yet contains an interior, hidden poignancy. Sculpting with copper rod, artificial sinew, shuka fabric, and paper, Lemanski responds to African herders’ use of Furadan, a toxic chemical that has led to the rapid decline of lion populations over the past two decades. Specifically, the pink circular pattern comprising the ears, eyes, and nose of the sculpture invokes the design on Furadan packaging. Lemanski’s sculptural practice revolves around mixed-media representations of animals, and her works commonly comment on pervasive social, political, and environmental concerns. Furadan Feline is not the only work by Lemanski in the Museum’s permanent collection. Senkwekwe gorilla beringei beringei (mountain gorilla), created the same year as Furadan Feline, depicts the disembodied head of Senkwekwe, a male mountain gorilla who was murdered in 2007 during a guerilla war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Sagittarius: November 22–December 21

Antoine Bourdelle, Hercules the Archer, modeled 1906–9, Musée Bourdelle cast circa 1968–69

Sometimes, Sags’ honesty pierces like an arrow; therefore, the archer is an apt characterization of this occasionally opinionated, albeit generous, sign. Bourdelle’s most famous sculpture depicts not just any bowman but the divine, ancient hero Hercules as he performs the sixth of his twelve labors: exterminating the man-eating birds of Lake Symphalia. You may notice that a crucial object of the tableau is missing—Hercules’s bow. That’s because the version of this sculpture in the NCMA’s collection is a study executed ahead of the final work, allowing Bourdelle to experiment with the physicality and texture of his subject. The naturalism of Bourdelle’s work may remind viewers of another notable sculptor from the same period, Auguste Rodin. From 1893 to 1908, Bourdelle worked as an instructor in Rodin’s studio. Despite the two artists’ overlapping styles, Bourdelle is considered a highly influential sculptor in his own right, animating simple forms with exaggerated, rippling surfaces.

For all the earth and air signs reading, keep an eye on the blog to find out which works of art have been selected to represent your core traits. Water signs, you already have a blog post waiting for you!