Scorpio ~ by Nick Gucker ©2014

When taking on the concept of Scorpio for the Constellation exhibit curated by Yvette Endrijautzki, I wanted to convey something more complex in my study than the traditional, straightforward scorpion image.  As I considered the symbol of Scorpio, the ideas of fearlessness, determination and strength were the primary elements impressed upon me.  I wanted to focus on the aspect of strength, so I incorporated the traditional image of the scorpion into that of an old fashioned circus strong man, replacing his arms with those of scorpion tails. It seemed a perfect fit, in a classic strong-man pose.  As Scorpio is a water sign, I wanted to incorporate water elements into the image as well.  I originally intended to have the elephants spraying fountains of water, but once they came into form, the trunk shape lent itself to more scorpion tails; a fun indulgence in studying the creature’s anatomy.  The third eye (the eye of knowledge) on the elephants’ fez is meant to instill a sort of playful mysticism.

This piece of art showed for a month at True Love Gallery in Seattle, WA, and then for another couple months at Fulcrum Gallery in Tacoma, WA.