VALLEY BURKE FOX "Rainbow Body"

Valley Fox, Rainbow Body, 2009. Oil paint on linen fabric, 60 by 40 inches.
Through her use of floral imagery Valley Fox illuminates the eternal essence of the soul which transcends the impermanent nature of life. In this work she draws upon the Buddhist concept of the “rainbow body” which refers to a transitional state in meditation where matter transforms into pure light energy. Within this pure-light state all possible manifestations of light and color dissolve into spectral white light as the inner self is awakened to the realization of the true nature of reality. Once the form of the rainbow body is achieved the soul can be freed from the endless cycle of death and rebirth called samsara, and complete spiritual enlightenment, or Nirvana, is obtained.
Purple, pink, and golden hues eloquently stream from the lower edges of the painting into the unfolding center of the white flora, representing the dissolution of the elements of the material self into the universal energy body. In this work the image of the flower is emphasized as being symbolic of the impermanence of beauty and nature. The image itself also contradictorily signifies the essence of eternity as the artist immortalizes the life of the flower by painting it on to the canvas, and thus also breaks its spirit free from the continual cycle of life and death. By meditating upon the brilliance of the movement and color in this painting one can equally be awakened to the truths of life and reality.
By N.G.