goddess river lore


In her newest series of mixed media paintings, “Bodice Of The Goddess- the Secret Life of the Hudson River”, Carla Goldberg gives liberal license to the stories behind the histories, myths and legends of the Hudson River exploring the playful and vengeful sides of the River Goddesses of the Hudson. It is the interaction of Goddess affections and jealousies, in play with Earth, water and the human world that puts the viewer as witness to the radical weather phenomena unveiling before their eyes. Even Kipsy, the Hudson River’s own mythical version of the Loch Ness monster is a mere playmate for the River Goddesses. Kipsy enjoys a game of playing ball with a Goddess’ head, creating surging waves in her wake. It is the Goddesses female torsos under the watery depth of the river that form the peeks and valleys of the underwater terrain. If you’ve ever wondered why a ship sinks or a sailor falls overboard, blame it on a temperamental Goddess. It is said that the Goddesses are responsible for the waves in the river, the underwater turmoil, the current and direction of water flow as well as the gathering of storm clouds and raging winds. Anger them and they can be vengeful. Humor them and gentle ripples come from their laughter. In the winter, they sleep, but if they get too cold, take care they don’t start shivering. This is the breaking of the ice sheets. Many a ship has gone down to the silty bottom to rest forever on the belly of the Goddess, forever hers. The only visitors are the crabs seeking some treasure.

Some of the stories and legends I reference in my work are based mostly in truth with history revising them over generations. Others begin with a geographical region or physical or weather related phenomena as the starting point but end with a playful twist from my own imagination or that of writer, artist and puppeteer Cabot Parsons of Beacon, NY. The two of us have a great time pondering the antics of these saucy and selfish Goddesses. “

These paintings are my small way of trying to help bring attention to the Hudson River. There was a reason in the past it was such a popular subject in painting and spurred a whole school of art. Its beauty was obvious to the eye, but it was also a symbol for the bountiful and endless possibilities opening before us as a young nation. Today, there is no less reason to celebrate but the emphasis has shifted. The River is a microcosm for the environmental pressures our planet faces. Chemical changes happen quickly in this tidal estuary. Small changes in environmental laws have a quick and direct impact on the Hudson for good or bad. While these paintings are about the Hudson River, the story is a universal one. Life, communities, industry instinctively begin along a waters’ edge.
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