Jen Bowmast, Psychopomp, 2018, foam, lacquer, resin, steel, 780 x 1550 x 800mm. Stand 180mm, The National, Christchurch
Psychopomp, is part of an ongoing series ‘Artefacts of the Future’. The body of work seeks to connect with the curious idea of a felt world with unseen presences, inaudible messages, and omniscient guidance. The title, Psychopomp, is from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός (psychopompos), literally meaning the “guide of souls”. Stories of psychopomps appear in myths, religious texts and sacred narratives in various forms throughout the world. In Jungian psychology, the psychopomp is a mediator between the unconscious and conscious realms. I see the form as a transitional object between one place and another reflecting the moment of exchange between myself and readers during esoteric meetings.