AWIL-UM : Thoughts in Perspective: Marjatta Cajan (visual) and Johnny Hollow (audio)

I don't remember how I discovered Johnny Hollow but most probably it was part of my "musical education" back in the days when I composed music on my own. This band is much more than music, it even surpasses all standards of emotion because what you will hear is something totally different. Depending on your own musical preferences you will find "This Hollow World" as either revolutionary, intriguing or weird. The band members are: Janine White (vocalist), Vincent Marcone (digital artist), Kitty Thompson (cellist) and Steve Heihn (guitarist). The song is the fourth track from the 2009 album entitled "Dirty Hands".

Marjatta Cajan is an amazing visual artist from Helsinki, Finland and as you will see, her works are like puzzles, mysteries waiting to be discovered. You are going to enter into a land of secrets and symbols. First and foremost you will sense the strangeness of it, maybe not even understanding what it all means but take some time and go through the ten pictures with great attention to every element. Let the atmosphere overwhelm you and take you into the land of dreams, of endless possibilities, but be careful, the land of dreams also contains nightmares. No doubt you will recognize such things like the fight between good and evil, decline and rebirth, search for wisdom and search for knowledge. "Dove and Raven" and "Light Returns" have the clearest dualism of this set.

"Lilith" most probably is about the first woman, I'll have to explain this one. Some mystics believe that prior to Eve, Lilith was created along with Adam but because they couldn't get along she left and only after that did God create Eve, much more loyal and not as independent. Well, this is what the image made me think at, although to be honest, to achieve a message like this we would also need an Adam drinking his sorrow away in a makeshift bar.

"Privacy", another great image, this time the artist exploring an area of eroticism with great ease and mastery. "The Chaser" and "Confusion" although different share a feeling of unknowing, in "Confusion" pay attention at the rays of light.

Birds are an often used symbol, most of the time as crows, although as you can also see doves, swans and maybe even seagulls. We should not forget to pay close attention to colors, in fact this is useless to mention because colors clearly play a huge role in each and every image. Marjatta Cajan shows a great ability in combining colors to achieve an optimum effect along with the use of symbols and evidently the underlying themes.

These are my opinions but I look forward to hearing your thoughts.