Meridiem 

Jason Limon painted "Meridiem" in 2016, playing on ideas about the boundaries between dreaming and waking. The boxlike form of the creature suggests a container for a potion, or perhaps even a Pandora’s Box. This image creates meaning through a blend of visual codes. The box is decorated with filigree reminiscent of Victorian design, while its legs and overall shape suggest the influence of Surrealism. The words "ante meridiem" and "post meridiem," referencing time, combined with the label "wake" on the potion, conjure themes of consciousness and the passage of time. The moon and stars introduce a celestial element, hinting at the influence of astrology. To truly understand this piece, we need to consider the late 20th and early 21st-century cultural landscape, the popularity of dream analysis, and a growing interest in alternative spiritual practices. As art historians, we delve into these contexts, using resources like cultural studies texts and historical analyses to enrich our understanding of art's meaning as a social phenomenon.