River Serpent Mural for Stay 1206

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In the early 1800s there were Cherokee tales of a monster serpent in Chattanooga. With a two feet long dog-like head and a long slimy back at least 20 feet in length, anyone who spotted the creature was said to die soon after. I am inspired by wycinanki, the Polish folk art style of paper cutting. This is part of the reason my monstrous serpent looks a lot less intimidating. Pastel colors and a rainbow also brighten up the piece. The figures will be done similar to black silhouettes decorated with native Tennessee flora: azalea, thistles, zinnias, goldenrod, coneflower, buttonbush, asters, blazing star, red clover, and monarda. Also to help link the monster with local folklore, I will place Tennessee’s official state butterfly, the zebra swallowtail around the monster. We see monsters as a representation of some sort of mass hysteria. What fears was the Tennessee River serpent a manifestation of? Perhaps simply the temporarily of one’s existence.

I use animals as both human surrogates and as symbols for human emotions in my work. So when choosing which animals to place on this piece I researched both what animals were native to Tennessee and how their symbolism could link to human mortality. Many cultures associate the butterfly with the soul. Bats are a common symbol for death and rebirth. And beavers are a symbol of protection as they create dams which can hold back invaders and monsters.