Seven Sisters (Celestial Subduction) / Fremont Theatre / San Luis Obispo, CA

Seven Sisters (Celestial Subduction)

Statement about the work as it reads on the plaque outside of the historic Fremont Theatre- courtesy of San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and the City of SLO

“Many a night I saw the Pleiades,

risin’ thro’ the mellow shade

glitter like a swarm of fireflies

tangled in a silver braid”

-Alfred Lord Tennyson, Locksley Hall

Seven Sisters (Celestial Subduction) is an ambitious mural project whose inspiration emerges from an unusual intersection of “Seven Sisters” phenomena and mythology. The beloved series of Central Coast peaks, known by this name, sparked the original idea. This piece time travels to the origin of their formation, when a sub-aquatic geologic event called “subduction” led to powerful volcanic eruptions. 

In another time and space the “Seven Sisters” star cluster would pique the interest and devotion of numerous global cultures and faiths. The Pleiades, in Greek mythology, are also known as “sailing ones” or “crying stars”, said to have caused the great flooding of earth with their celestial tears. They were the seven daughters of the sea nymph Pleione, later changed into birds to protect them from Orion’s advances. As the story continues, these seven doves flew toward the heavens and became stars that greatly aid sailors in nautical navigation. 

A Chumash myth of Seven Boys/Geese/Stars offers a beautiful parallel narrative. This work honors the power and spirit of lands before human time, but also later indigenous stewards of it, such as the Chumash and Salinan.

Molteni’s work features a systematic, intentional and site specific approach, often requiring a laborious process of paint mixing and complex design systems often rooted in cosmic quilting motifs (such as “the friendship star” and “seven sisters” patterns present in this work). They engage in extensive research to gather imagery from academic, folkloric and mystical/spiritual sources

Thanks to San Luis Obispo Museum of Art Chief Curator Emma Saperstein for inviting me to the create the work as well as SLOMA Director Leann Standish and curator Courtney Davis. Thanks also to the City of San Luis Obispo for funding the work, everyone affiliated with the historic Fremont Theatre on which the work was painted, and finally, my tireless, talented artist assistants Taylor Owens, Alicenne Reid and Eli Brown. 

All hi-res/professional documentation shot by Stephen Heraldo of Heraldo Creative Studio

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