Atlantis

by Omaste Witkowski

Title

Atlantis

Artist

Omaste Witkowski

Medium

Painting - Digital Painting

Description

I see the lost city of Atlantis. Bright and alive inside its underwater shell. Protected by the aqua magic and entrapped by the underwater veil. The coral and sea creatures swim around in wonder and enchantment.

"Atlantis (in Greek, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, "island of Atlas") is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC. According to Plato, Atlantis was a naval power lying "in front of the Pillars of Hercules" that conquered many parts of Western Europe and Africa 9,000 years before the time of Solon, or approximately 9600 BC. After a failed attempt to invade Athens, Atlantis sank into the ocean "in a single day and night of misfortune".

Scholars dispute whether and how much Plato's story or account was inspired by older traditions. In Critias, Plato claims that his accounts of ancient Athens and Atlantis stem from a visit to Egypt by the legendary Athenian lawgiver Solon in the 6th century BC. In Egypt, Solon met a priest of Sais, who translated the history of ancient Athens and Atlantis, recorded on papyri in Egyptian hieroglyphs, into Greek. Some scholars argue Plato drew upon memories of past events such as the Thera eruption or the Trojan War, while others insist that he took inspiration from contemporary events like the destruction of Helike in 373 BC[1] or the failed Athenian invasion of Sicily in 415�413 BC.

The possible existence of a genuine Atlantis was discussed throughout classical antiquity, but it was usually rejected and occasionally parodied by later authors. Alan Cameron states: "It is only in modern times that people have taken the Atlantis story seriously; no one did so in antiquity".[2] The Timaeus remained known in a Latin rendition by Calcidius through the Middle Ages, and the allegorical aspect of Atlantis was taken up by Humanists in utopian works of several Renaissance writers, such as Francis Bacon's New Atlantis and Thomas More's Utopia. Atlantis inspires today's literature, from science fiction to comic books to films. Its name has become a byword for any and all supposed advanced prehistoric lost civilizations." - Wikipedia

This painting started out as a picture of handblown glass created by Garth Mudge of Glassworks in Winthrop Wa. Glassworks is located downtown in the beautiful Methow Valley in Okanogan County. It was taken with a Macro lens and is a very small section of the overall object. The colors are vivid and alive due to the way that I am illuminating the glass art as I am taking the picture. In a way I am photographing the light as it passes through the object.
In this particular photograph I have gone in by hand and painted over the original image. Adding my own textures and visions to the shapes and colors I started with.
I have been a professional photographer for many years but it is only recently that I have been photographing glass at any level. It is such an exciting experience to discover these images. I almost feel like an archeologist as I explore a small hidden word and reveal the treasures within.

Uploaded

February 22nd, 2013

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