Charlie Kirkham

In this blog post I want to share the ideas and inspiration behind the drawing ‘The Four Rivers of Eden’.

What is Freedom?

When humanity was expelled from Paradise it was a direct consequence of discovering the difference between good and evil, with this the free will to choose.

In Paradise we were programmed to serve, on earth humankind’s gift of free will is the freedom to choose to do the right thing.

Freedom begins with personal freedom, the ability to choose who we love, where we travel to and what education we may pursue, without fear of persecution or punishment. The easiest way to understand freedom is to observe it’s absence.

When limitations are place on individual freedom it is easily recognisable in the extreme forms, for example gender based discrimination barring girls from attending school. The more subtle forms of stifling freedom form the backdrop to this piece.

It is an ink and wash drawing completed on watercolour paper, measuring 12×16″ (unframed). I used a combination of waterproof black ink pen in nib ranges 0.05 – 0.1mm and diluted Indian Ink. I will be sharing the video of it’s creation via Instgram soon.

Why Four Dragons?

Each dragon represents the head of a separate river. It is based on the mystical ideas surrounding the Genesis Passage 2:10-14 which describes the four heads of the river flowing from Eden. The rivers were called Pishon, Gichon, Chidekel and Perat and all flowed from Paradise. The drawing is focused on the moment that Eden leaves the physical realm and joins a spiritual world, fracturing the rivers. Thinking of  a river head I merged the idea with a dragon head, using four different dragons to represent each river. 

The river Chidekel is often accepted as the Tigris river, Gichon is thought to be the Blue Nile and Perat as the Euphrates and Pishon as either the Nile or the Ganges. Pishon as a river that is so unclear is the most interesting as it reflects the idea that the rivers really no longer exist, like the dragons. The flying dragon is based on Uccello’s creature, with sea dragon and seals working for further inspiration.

Each dragon here has very different qualities and they all ask the question of what happens when we leave paradise, abandon our ideals or enter into a strange world where there is freedom of choice?

I wanted the drawing to feel like a series of questions about how these rivers that flowed from one source can navigate once they’re broken apart. The river metaphor draws on the idea of water as the ultimate symbol of life and life flow. 

‘The Four Rivers of Eden’ is showing in Seven House Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, USA as part of the Passion for Freedom festival 2024, 3-31/5/24.

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REFERENCE LINKS

Charlie Kirkham (@charliekirkhamart) • Instagram photos and videos

2024 – Passion for Freedom

Seven House New York

Charlie Kirkham, The Four Rivers of Eden, 2023