James: I had drawn this one out while still living in Puerto Rico, and it sat for over a year before I finally painted over it. Becca and I had wanted to do a scene of the "toilette de Venus", as ancient sculptors and artists like Rubens, Velazquez, Vasari, and countless others had done. But what should it communicate - the vanity of Venus? others' adoration of the goddess? Without a good answer, the idea remained only an idea. Once we had taken in a few museums in Europe and seen the many classical portrayals of it throughout history, the subject was resurrected. Working at full steam in my Italian studio, I drew the image on canvas again. At that time Becca and I were discussing who was still "out there" that needed to come into the work. Then we stumbled onto an image of the Shinto goddess Amateratsu, and the myth about her mirror. Well . . . the rest was easy.
.......With no Japanese model at hand, I got creative and performed a "face lift" on the model from the old photography, and voilà! a Japanese goddess! Now Amateratsu's mirror is not for vanity or self-absorption. When viewers look into her magic mirror, they get to see their higher selves. For this reason I colored Venus and Mars as mortal Woman and Man who see their "true colors" reflected as divinities, just as any mortal human can. To me it was a wonderfully inspired thought. I also like the supportive, loving partnership shown by the divine couple.
.......One of the favorite places I stayed during my time in Japan was Kyoto. The Tani House there, my former abode, inspired the scenery for this painting. It is all there: the second-floor window where bamboo shot up to the sky, the tami mats, sliding paper doors, a mountain view where the sun rose, and a patio (where I usually slept). There was even the Daitokugi Temple right next door. So although most backgrounds in Venus and Her Lover are fanciful, this one I know from first-hand experience.
.......Because of the angle of the bed, this piece was extremely difficult to design. It was quite time-consuming to complete. The "chop" on the lower left adds a traditional flavor. It means "flight" (on top) and "freedom" (on the bottom); when spoken in Japanese, they make a sound like my nickname: J.B. This was my personal stamp I used to sign my works when I lived in Japan. I like it because as a Scorpio, I have always identified with the phoenix or eagle. So "freedom flight" is perfect! The emblem on the lower right of the painting is our "signature" done in tantric colors, red and white, with an Oriental flair.
.......To keep it Japanese all the way, I suggested to Becca that she write a haiku. As it turned out, she was thinking the same thing.

Becca: In this brief piece I evoke the Shinto myth as well as the message of our reinvented myth. Amateratsu, the sun goddess, had hidden her true nature, and the world suffered for it. The same applies to us. In turn, when we let our souls shine forth, we blossom as reflections of divine power, much in the way that springtime coaxes forth beauty from every plant and vitality from every animal. Our spiritual identities are like blossoms of the sun god or sun goddess.
.......I followed the form of the haiku: 5-7-5 syllables.

......The creators Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to the eight islands of Japan and myriad divinities - the three most important being Amateratsu, Goddess of the Sun; Tsuki-yomi, God of the Moon; and Susanowo, God of the Sea and Storms. Susanowo was always wreaking havoc, which Amateratsu forgave, until one time he goes too far. "The Impetuous Male" destroys her rice fields in the Plain of High Heaven, defecates in her temple, and then tosses the carcass of the heavenly horse he has flayed into her weaving hall, seriously injuring/killing the ladies of the goddess. Amateratsu has had enough. Furious, she retreats into the Cave of Heaven, sealing herself in with a huge boulder.

......With the disappearance of the Sun Goddess, the world is thrown into darkness. Nothing can grow. Evil spirits roam the world. Alarmed at this crisis, the eight million gods convene outside the Cave of Heaven. In order to entice Amateratsu to come out, they chant liturgies, they set cocks to crow continuously, they decorate the Sahaki trees with sacred objects: white and blue banners, jewels, and a mirror. She does not budge. Finally, Uzume, Goddess of Dancing and Happiness, tries to help. Also known as Uzume-Ota-Fuku ("She of the Big Breasts"), she is a crone figure like Baubo. Lifting up her kimono, she performs an outrageously sexy dance. The deities encourage her with raucous laughter and clapping. All the commotion causes Amateratsu to peek out of the cave.

......"How can you all be celebrating in the darkness?" she cries.

......"We are rejoicing because we have found a goddess even greater than you," Uzume replies.

......Now Amateratsu is really curious. Two of the gods push the mirror to the cave entrance, and the Sun Goddess, fascinated with the image she spies, steps outside the cave. Her radiance fills the world with light. Blocking the entrance to the cave and convincing Amateratsu of her importance, the eight million deities thus restore the Sun to the world.

......In most world mythologies the sun is male. The Shinto tradition, however, reveres the sun as a maternal deity. Until the mid-20th century, emperors of Japan traced their ancestry to the goddess Amateratsu.

See also: BAUBO.