Ballerina 2011

This depiction of a Ballerina is a work by Blek le Rat. The figure, caught mid-motion, evokes an array of symbols rooted deeply in our collective consciousness. The ballerina, with arms outstretched, strikes a pose reminiscent of classical depictions of ecstasy, or even of crucifixion. This gesture reappears across millennia and cultures, from ancient religious icons to modern performance art. It speaks to a primal yearning for transcendence. The dancer on her toes represents a desire to overcome gravity, to elevate above the mundane. We see a similar impulse in the Gothic cathedrals, reaching towards the heavens, or in the paintings of ecstatic saints levitating in divine rapture. The motifs are constantly resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in each historical context, yet retaining their core emotional resonance.