Paddleboard 2022

Julie Blackmon created this photograph entitled 'Paddleboard' in the 21st century. Here, a family outing is captured on a paddleboard, yet the scene evokes much more than just a simple day on the water. The image of the mother, visibly pregnant, steering while her child idly dangles their feet, speaks volumes about the cyclical nature of life. We see a motif of burden and lightness, a woman carrying the weight of new life, mirroring ancient depictions of fertility goddesses navigating the waters of existence. This connects with images of the Virgin Mary, her swelling belly alluding to a new life. The act of steering, a gesture as old as civilization itself, recalls images of Charon guiding souls across the river Styx, as well as other ancient river deities. Blackmon doesn’t merely present a snapshot; she invites us to meditate on the currents of life that carry us all forward. The board is a raft, a symbol of passage. The journey is inevitable, the destination unknown.