Lead astray
A photo of the guitar I first learnt to play on. My grandmother gave it to me when I was about ten. Its not really a family heirloom, she never played it and doesn’t know where its from. We just found it in the attic and my mum thought i should give lessons a go.
I have never taken a photo in my room before, but the way the light slashed across the body tempted me.
A Painting I did for my parents at Christmas 2016. I hadn’t painted in a while but was not too disappointed with the outcome.
While partly inspired by the teachings of Dionysius on the Via Negativa (something I learnt in philosophy this year), it was really just an experiment of colour.
The epigraph from the novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
As an all time favourite of mine, the work interrogates the importance of having compassion for everyone, even for what the worst of humanity has to offer.
Set during the reign of Stalin, the novel follows Woland (the devil) and his entourage harass and pass judgement over various citizens of Moscow.
Bulgakov redefines what the Devil is, not necessarily the fallen angel whose ‘evil is thou good’, but instead one who teaches by provocation.
Read the Diana Burgin and Katherine Tiernan O’Connor translation
White arc riding
a splatter on our shores.
A froth finding
the centre of earth’s moors.
Purpose is its direction
purposeless, let it be
the white twinkles like diamonds;
let it be.
Be the glass, my mirror
shatters, cuts the light
bars cage me.
Their edges the Bell Jar
we yearn for.
The world is a collection,
a mourning of what should have been.
Watch;
there are things skulking in the sea.
Aesthetic Empire is looking for writers! Preferably students with interests in the arts who would like to share their artwork, literature or would like to review or discuss topics. Pretty much as long as it comes under the arts,media or even music. I would greatly appreciate it so that this blog uploads content more regularly.
If anyone is interested email me at aestheticempire@hotmail.com or message me on social media. Your work would get credited (obviously) and after a while you’d probably get admin privileges as well (if you want).
The clouds come loiter together again,
a sapphire blue veiled so discreet,
now drained to sustain the coming rain.
Shelter not in front,
only dusk plains ahead.
Behind, shimmering,
waves open yawning
with inescapable safety
but numb.
The horizon then;
tumbling in lachrymose,
or rumbling timidly.
Peaking or falling;
I can’t tell yet.
Jogging against the sunset appears to thrill,
Until you reach the ocean and cant swim
Fast enough. To escape the hollow black hue
Endure the tormenting shivers of sombre Siberian nights
and wallow giddily with the creatures of light.
