In a recent exhibition at Silke Lindner, Emma Kohlmann unveiled her latest body of work, "Moon Minds," which draws heavily from Monica Sjöö's 1971 book of the same name. The show is an exploration of the concept of time and its relationship to the human body, particularly in ancient societies where women played a crucial role in keeping track of cycles and seasons.
Kohlmann first discovered Sjöö's work on Tumblr, where her surreal watercolors depicting priestesses and passages from her writings on the divine feminine gained popularity. The author's book, "The Great Cosmic Mother," is notable for its argument that Indo-European societies held a widespread devotion to fertility goddesses and the possibility of convergent pre-capitalist matriarchy.
For Kohlmann, Sjöö's text served as a starting point for her own artistic inquiry into the idea of the body as timekeeper. As she navigated the early days of the pandemic, Kohlmann found herself imposing structures on her daily routine, creating a sense of ritual and order amidst chaos. This impulse towards structure and repetition is reflected in much of her work, including the use of tessellating diamonds and quilt-like patterns.
Throughout "Moon Minds," these themes are interwoven with imagery that blends human forms with natural elements and symbolic objects, such as candelabra-shaped flowers and animals that exist between different categories. This blurring of boundaries creates a sense of ambiguity and multiplicity, echoing Sjöö's notion of the world being born from a primordial water.
Kohlmann's process is characterized by iteration and refinement, with multiple versions of each design emerging through her creative cycle. This iterative approach can be seen in works such as "The Sands Are of the Times," which features an hourglass filled with olive-colored sand, while another piece, "Internal Quilt #2," showcases a geometric pattern rendered on linen.
By exploring these ideas and motifs, Kohlmann has created a visual vocabulary that is both personal and universal, speaking to our shared human experience of time and the body's role within it.
Kohlmann first discovered Sjöö's work on Tumblr, where her surreal watercolors depicting priestesses and passages from her writings on the divine feminine gained popularity. The author's book, "The Great Cosmic Mother," is notable for its argument that Indo-European societies held a widespread devotion to fertility goddesses and the possibility of convergent pre-capitalist matriarchy.
For Kohlmann, Sjöö's text served as a starting point for her own artistic inquiry into the idea of the body as timekeeper. As she navigated the early days of the pandemic, Kohlmann found herself imposing structures on her daily routine, creating a sense of ritual and order amidst chaos. This impulse towards structure and repetition is reflected in much of her work, including the use of tessellating diamonds and quilt-like patterns.
Throughout "Moon Minds," these themes are interwoven with imagery that blends human forms with natural elements and symbolic objects, such as candelabra-shaped flowers and animals that exist between different categories. This blurring of boundaries creates a sense of ambiguity and multiplicity, echoing Sjöö's notion of the world being born from a primordial water.
Kohlmann's process is characterized by iteration and refinement, with multiple versions of each design emerging through her creative cycle. This iterative approach can be seen in works such as "The Sands Are of the Times," which features an hourglass filled with olive-colored sand, while another piece, "Internal Quilt #2," showcases a geometric pattern rendered on linen.
By exploring these ideas and motifs, Kohlmann has created a visual vocabulary that is both personal and universal, speaking to our shared human experience of time and the body's role within it.
. I mean, think about it - these ancient societies where women were the ones keeping track of time, creating patterns and cycles that governed daily life... it's like they knew something we've forgotten or lost in our modern world. And Kohlmann's use of tessellating diamonds and quilt-like patterns is like a visual representation of those same structures, trying to impose order on a chaotic world 
. It's all about finding meaning in the in-between spaces, where humans and nature blend together seamlessly 
! she really digs into these deep themes about time and bodies like women were always keeping track of cycles, you know? it's so cool how she took inspiration from monica sjöö's book and ran with it 
. i also love how her art has this sense of structure and repetition in it, like she found order in the midst of chaos during the pandemic 
. her use of tessellating diamonds and quilt-like patterns is so mesmerizing 
. What I'm taking away from this show is the importance of structure and order in a chaotic world... maybe it's just me, but there's something super relatable about her hourglass with olive-colored sand 
I'm not entirely convinced by Emma Kohlmann's connection to Monica Sjöö's work... Can we get more info on how she actually "discovered" their book on Tumblr? Was it just a coincidence or did someone specifically introduce her to it? Also, what's the source on these Indo-European societies holding widespread devotion to fertility goddesses? Those types of claims can be pretty fascinating, but let's see some solid evidence before we start singing Kohlmann's praises 
Fast forward to now, her show "Moon Minds" is getting major attention, and I'm not surprised given the themes of time, cycles, and feminine power 
That's some serious engagement 
.
, but at the same time, it feels totally relevant to our lives now