I find the concept of the sin-eater to be of great comfort.
According to Aztec mythology, Tlazoteotl acted as sin-eater to her people. By consumption of their sins, she absolved one of their mortal misdeeds, allowing them to transcend this mortal coil pure and unblemished into the next realm.
These are the things I think about: at what cost would this be to Tlazoteotl? Would the sin accumulate; would it be a heavy burden? Would it carry a strong distaste? Or would the legacy of the deeds — apart and away from the presumed guilt and purported shame — convey only the delicious taste of unbridled free will?
2016 |
oil on canvas, 7″ x 5″
As part of an exploration of this theme, I painted Tlazoteotl as a corpulent rabbit, gorging on sin portrayed as forget-me-not flowers; her eye shines with an wild intelligence. This is a small canvas, 7″ x 5″, but I think it’s effective in its space.
It’s a theme I look forward to diving into more in the coming year.