Provenance

South Atlantic Press, Cape Town

Private Collection

Notes

"Janus, the ancient Roman deity, presided over doorways and beginnings. Often depicted with two bearded faces situated back to back on a single head, gazing in opposing directions, he also symbolized the sun's rising and setting.

In his role as a god connected to time and transitions, Janus embodied the dichotomy of looking both into the past and the future. Notably, he lacked a representation for the present, which was indicative of the present being the intermediary phase between the two. The Roman perspective didn't conceive of the present as an independent moment, but rather as a fleeting passage from future to past.

The two woodblock prints are distinct carvings, each mirrored and precisely aligned, with a slender gap deliberately maintained between them. This gap symbolises the juncture between the past and the future, aiming to draw the observer's attention to the immediate moment. The artistic intention behind this composite print is to provide a contemplative space encompassing reflections on the past, engagement with the present, and thoughts about the future."—Jake Aikman, 2023.