The spider iconography has in the past for me been a strong expression of the political and religious attitudes of the Spiders within the narrative I have created. Spider icons have an imposing presence through the suggestions they make - a visual identity associated with abjection, something one would not wish to touch, an element of horror or revulsion and therefore powerful symbolism. It is about expressing the power that the spiders have over the Babies and the belief system that they have structured in order to maintain that control.Therefore the image of the spider immediately indicates a malevolent presence, within the narrative and also within the real world.
In the case of this medal, the obverse displays a large and imposing light-relief representation of a Cardinal spider, derived from a drawing from life, with a legend that translates' Self-styled spider god of the machine'. Deus Ex Machina is a term most commonly used in reference to forced or unlikely events introduced in a drama or novel to resolve a difficult or awkward situation. This seemed entirely appropriate as explanations of some aspects of my narrative have often resulted in the statement 'the Spiders did it.', and moreso with consideration of the 'machine' reference, which reinforces the idea that the spiders are in control, and more importantly, in control of the machines.
Reverse
The reverse of the medal depicts a a nest of spiderlings emerging to intermingle with miniature machinery, and in a way, the birth of the union between arachnid and the mechanical possibilities which they later harnessed for their despicable purposes. The medal is a commemorative device for spiders, an affirmation of their dominance.
'Celebration', cast bronze, 1999.
Obverse Reverse
Commission for the British Art Medal Society, 2005