Brian Sherwin, art critic and writer, and Jan Stommes, a self-taught fine artist were discussing about what symbolism in art means now and how artists don’t think about that anymore. In this case David Bowie proved them wrong. Jan herself was saying, “I think part of the problem is that many still life painters have forgotten to utilize symbolism in order to strengthen the visual narrative of the image.” David Bowie was recreating a symbolic work of art in video form. There is no doubt that the video Blackstar was full of strong imagery. To understand the meaning of a candle, we should dive into the history and perhaps the culture surrounding candle. Lara Ciritci, a Strategic Design student in Parsons, the New School, writes a research paper about just that. She dives into the topics of sexuality, religion, and the craftsmanship in the making of a candle. This is important because the candle is such a ubiquitous object and might have lost meaning to the general public. Now a candle is merely something we use to make the bathroom smell nice .. and of course for sex and religion! Since candles are a huge part of religious ceremonies, it would make sense that David Bowie would use a candle as a symbol. As mentioned before, the candle is used a lot when it comes to classical painting about religion. As mentioned in the earlier articles; Bowie might be illustrating the candle as something evil, something that is representing an evil force (the serpent in this case). Perhaps, the light of the glowing candle is meant to follow the darkness. We can all understand that David Bowie’s last album is constantly referencing life and death. Actually, some elements might be referring to his time in Germany, when he was heavily influenced by the classical art scene (first thing you learn in art history is about the symbolism of candles in oil paintings in relation to time and the role of the skull). An artist would use items like a skull, timepiece, snuffed out candle to represent the passage of time. The candle, it’s a big one and has lots of meanings. It can indicate the passing of time, faith in God (when its burning). When extinguished, it means death, or the loss of virginity, and the corruption of matter. It can symbolize light in the darkness of a lonely individual, or the light of Christ, purification or cleansing. The video literally shows a solitary candle it’s not even certain that light symbolizes good. Brian Sherwin, art critic and writer, and Jan Stommes, a self-taught fine artist were discussing about what symbolism in art means now and how artists don’t think about that anymore. In this case David Bowie proved them wrong. Jan herself was saying, “I think part of the problem is that many still life painters have forgotten to utilize symbolism in order to strengthen the visual narrative of the image.” David Bowie was recreating a symbolic work of art in video form. There is no doubt that the video Blackstar was full of strong imagery. To understand the meaning of a candle, we should dive into the history and perhaps the culture surrounding candle. Lara Ciritci, a Strategic Design student in Parsons, the New School, writes a research paper about just that. She dives into the topics of sexuality, religion, and the craftsmanship in the making of a candle. This is important because the candle is such a ubiquitous object and might have lost meaning to the general public. Now a candle is merely something we use to make the bathroom smell nice .. and of course for sex and religion! Since candles are a huge part of religious ceremonies, it would make sense that David Bowie would use a candle as a symbol. As mentioned before, the candle is used a lot when it comes to classical painting about religion. As mentioned in the earlier articles.
Intro The candle has a well-known position in human history. It is one of mankind’s first inventions. Candles have been used for brightness and to illuminate man’s festivities for more than 5,000 years, until now little is recognized regarding their beginning. I would like to explore how candles are used to create ‘holy place’ for religion, and how this idea of a ‘holy space’ becomes sexual. In this research paper, I use the example of the candle and its intertwining of religion and sexuality to discuss the notions of artificiality and humanity in objects through mass-production and hand-made. History Today, it is very hard to imagine how the world was decades ago after the sun went down. The aim of a candle is simply to produce flame and to keep surroundings lit. Throughout history, candles have distributed integral duties for humankind. The history of this material respond to a period of 3,000 B.C, where ancient Romans were credited with developing the wicked candle, following the ancient Egyptians using non-wicked candles made by torches. Historians and researchers have found evidence that the first candles urbanized by the Ancient Egyptians were called rushlights. They were attained by dripping branches in animal fat to form a light source that has a candle-like effect. Nevertheless, it is regularly said that because the rushlights had no wick, they were not measured to be a correct candle. It was not until 3000 BC, when the Egyptians created a true candle that was prepared out of beeswax.1 In the countries of China and Japan, candles were known to be prepared with wax gotten from from insects and seeds. That wax was enfolded in paper and burned to have light.2 The majority early Western cultures relied primarily on candles delivered from animal fat. A most important enhancement came in the Middle Ages, when beeswax candles were innovated in Europe. Unlike animal-based tallow, beeswax burned unpolluted and cleanly. It also emitted a pleasing sweet smell.3 Beeswax candles were commonly used for church ceremonies, but since they were luxurious, only some individuals could have enough money to burn them in the house. In the 19th century, machinery was developed in 1834, to produce candles more fast and efficiently.4 That was the time when contemporary massproduction of candles was first thought of and this allowed candles to get to the homes of every class.5 Description My choice of candle, to conduct my research on, is called “Vanilla Champagne” produced by Emily Frame and is sold on Etsy, an online shopping website dedicated to handmade or vintage items. For my research, I chose a very plain scented candle with a single wick. The body of the candle is inside a non-flammable, heat resistant mason jar. As seen in the Figure 1, the jar is filled with vanilla colored soy wax. The candle gives out scents of rich citrus and sweet vanilla combined. It is a very festive clean, not leaving any soy wax on the sides of the mason jar. This candle is sold in two sizes, which are 8 ounces \smell and could be a very romantic gift for a special someone. The scent lasts 3-4 hours and burns very and 16 ounces. It has been hand poured in a kitchen, and has gone thorough long testing process to make sure the end result by one person only. As a material to study for this research paper, I thought this candle would be very appropriate because it is, of course, hand-made and I wanted to analyze something I love the smell of. I absolutely love a candle if it has a base of vanilla bean that surrounds the fragrance, which this candle has. It was also very important for my material to be produced handmade, because I argue that hand-made candles and hand-made objects in general are superior through the idea of artificial from Clive Dilnot. Religion It is well-known that candles are deeply rooted in every religious ceremonies from early times to the modern day. Within Christianity, from the very initial, fire and light are conceptualized as a Figure 1 secret language of the divine life and the divine existence. When a temple is declared as holy, the bishop sets fire in the sanctuary, which traditionally supposed to burn continuously from that time onward. This safe lamp on or on top of the Holy Table. Several is generally an oil lamp positioned either biblical references to candles dates back to 4th century.6 The story of Emperor Constantine, for instance, notes the candle usage in a chapel during an Easter communal worship.7 Another example would be the story of King Solomon, who used candles to light up the Temple he has built.8 Today, there are more individualized forms of religion, seeking inner peace, reassurance, and material prosperity. For example, “The scented oils heated by a votive candle derive from the wider culture of contemporary spirituality that has become significant for many people.”9 In this case, material items can vary greatly, from crystals, oils, votive candles, which is a prayer candle typically white or beeswax yellow, intended to be burnt as an act of Christian prayer, etc. Sexuality Candles are also a representation of sexuality, typically used to put the frame of mind for sex. Just as candles designate a holy space within a church or a temple, they are used today to make a ‘holy space’ for sex to occur. There is quintessential theme regarding to making love by candle light - acquire yourself a faux fur throw and it will sense like you are having sex on the set of Game of Thrones. Candles are very forgiving if you are shy in bed as they give your skin a dewy glow and the soft light is quite kind on those areas that you might not like so much. Massage candles are also being used increasingly since that is what the culture calls for, candles are being used more and more for different things outside of sex and religion. Hand-Made vs Mass-Produced Hand-crafted candles have been offering comfort and leisure to people for thousands of years. The first examples were established in ancient Egypt – over 3,000 years before. Formed from animal fat, these early on candles were one of Egypt’s primary roots of lighting. Historians as well consider that ancient Chinese and Japanese civilizations prepared primitive wax candles from ground insects and the seeds of trees. Ancient Indian candles were formed from boiling cinnamon and a variety of other spices in the water. The utilization of candles in the home has converted considerably throughout the last one hundred years. They were one time used as an important source of light in homes before the introduction of domestic electricity. Nevertheless, their unique properties make them perfect for relaxing, circulating attractive aromas and creating a unique ambience.10 Today, candles have evolved immensely not just through their appearance but how they are being produced. The huge mass of candles on the market are mass-produced in large-scale manufacturing facilities. “…We are now beginning to experience, in which the artificial, and not nature, is the horizon, medium, and determining condition of the world: its totality. The historical markers of the transition are destructive…”11 Although they could be cheaper, they regularly lack in aesthetic petition. We can also identify mass-production as a way of selling ‘artificial’ spirituality and sexuality. A hand-craft candle has a narrative on the back of it, and it regularly strikes an individual chord. The dictionary defines artificial as “conventional as opposed to natural” with antonyms listed as “genuine, natural, truthful.” Mass-Production falls into the category of the artificial, where as hand-crafted products are objects that have been put more thought into, meaning they are more genuine and truthful. However, Dilnot has mentioned that “Neither nature nor the artificial nor the human are today pure”.12 Clive Dilnot faces the idea of “Design as a concept inflated up to the dimension of encompassing all of the artificial production, no longer being innocent…”.13 Hand-designed candle has material personality, it is more special and personalized. I believe, people should wait to pay slightly more for a handmade candle, they will have something that assists a realistic purpose at the same time as looking incredible in the utmost residence. Dilnot comments that “The artificial is therefore, in strict terms, a world beyond law and beyond certainty means that the propositional is structurally inherent to the artificial; that in the artificial there are no absolute facts means that the artificial is a world of the possible…In short, in the artificial we grasp a universe of possibility.”14 I can argue the opposite. Yes, the creation of fire is characterized as artificial but I believe making the candle itself with all of its colors and scents, is not. Machines are supposed to produce perfect products while the hand-made products doesn’t necessarily require that and it involves human flaws. That is what makes a natural hand-designed object special and that is why it is full of possibilities with customizations or unexpected but beautiful outcomes. There are immeasurable designs to select from, but there is a little detail to keep in mind to guarantee that just the highest-quality candles are purchased. Buying handmade candles should engage quality ahead of price. Buying the most garish candles obtainable can also be a mistaken-economical. Conclusion In conclusion, my paper has defended that through artificial lighting, candles has emerged to be a culture and symbols of romanticism and religious celebrations. Hand-made candles especially has become a way to better reflect humanity. Candles have come an extensive way from the time of their initial use. Today, in relation to being enjoyed for their many colors, shapes, styles, and of course, scents, they are being used in every household. Even though it is no longer man’s main source of light, they keep on growing in recognition and use. As Clive Dilnot’s idea of “why artificial may yet save us” , I believe that hand-designed candles should always be priority, and that designers must consider loss of embodied humanity in factory made, mass-produced objects. I would want to conclude my paper by saying, ‘Hand-designed objects may yet save us’. Bibliography 1. Advameg. How candle is made - material, manufacture, making, history, used, parts, structure, steps, product. http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Candle.html. 2. Côrte-Real, Eduardo. “Ethics?Design?” Issue 1. http://www.iade.pt/unidcom/radicaldesignist/ethics-design. 2006. 3. Equipment, M.A.F. Tradition, history & development of candles. http://www.waxmelters.com/Tradition-History-Development-of-Candles-s/53.html, 1998. 4. Frame, E. (2016) Scented jar candles - pure soy candles - home fragrance - romantic gifts for her - mason jar gifts - rustic home decor - vanilla champagne. https://www.etsy.com/listing/272854576/scented-jar-candles-pure-soy-candles?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all 5. “History of Candles,” HISTORY BLOGS, May 10, 2011, https://historyblogs.wordpress.com. 6. King, F.E. Material religion and popular culture. 146, (New York: Taylor & Francis). 2009. 7. Souvenirs, Gifts, & Novelties.“The History of Candles.” (Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost). 2009. 8. Souvenirs, Gifts, & Novelties “Candles Have An Enlightening History.” (Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost). 2005. 9. Yelavich, S. and Adams, B. “Design as Future-Making.” 185. (Bloomsbury Publishing). 2014.