Dancing queens: Artist brings fertility goddesses to life in series of sensual gifs

  • Illinois artist Nina Paley has created a collection of animated goddess gifs, that are equal parts powerful, mesmerizing and sexual
  • The goddesses will be included in Paley's upcoming film, Seder-Masochism , which is centered around the Jewish holiday of Passover
  • Paley has said anyone can use the gifs that would like, free of charge and credit
  • Paley expects to have completed Seder-Masochism by February 

By Stephanie Haney For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

An artist has created a collection of animated goddess gifs that are equal parts powerful, mesmerizing and sexual in an attempt to inspire.

Illinois artist Nina Paley's goddesses has brought a series of fertility godesses to life for an upcoming film, Seder-Masochism, which is centered around the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Enjoy watching these beautiful animations sway from side to side, bob up and down and pulsate, as you learn a bit more about Seder and Paley's work in progress, which tells the story of Exodus from the point of view of the Goddess.

Scroll down for gifs... 

Illinois artist Nina Paley has created a collection of animated goddess gifs, that are equal parts powerful, mesmerizing and sexual

Illinois artist Nina Paley has created a collection of animated goddess gifs, that are equal parts powerful, mesmerizing and sexual

Paley leads off a post explaining her creations with three busty figures, which includes 'the famous throned goddess of Catal Huyuk,' she says.

The characters, titled 'Goddesses of the Bodacious Ta-Tas,' throb and sway, with one clutching her own breasts.

Another pulses in such a way that it's difficult to tell whether the goddess is standing on her feet or her hands.

Regardless of her position, and maybe because of it, it's impossible to look away.

This still depicts 'the famous throned goddess of Catal Huyuk,' Paley says

This still depicts 'the famous throned goddess of Catal Huyuk,' Paley says


Paley clearly has a good sense of humor about her animations, captioning one trio of her art, '3 limber stiff nudes.'

'These types of death goddess figures are called "stiff nudes." This trio have limbered up a bit,' she writes.

These goddesses are characterized by boxy bodices, with elongated necks and arms folded into the chest or across the waist.  

Paley has a good sense of humor about her animations, captioning one trio of her art which included the piece shown here, '3 limber stiff nudes'

Paley has a good sense of humor about her animations, captioning one trio of her art which included the piece shown here, '3 limber stiff nudes'

In another grouping of gifs, Paley acknowledges, yet again, that the people like boobs.

'Everyone’s demanding more boob animation, so I put some on the busty bird figure in the center,' she writes.

These depictions are decidedly more curvy, if not in figure, at least in motion.

'Everyone’s demanding more boob animation, so I put some on the busty bird figure (pictured),' Paley writes, in a trio of gifs
'Everyone’s demanding more boob animation,' Paley writes, in a trio of gifs featuring the goddess pictured here

'Everyone’s demanding more boob animation, so I put some on the busty bird figure (left),' Paley writes, in a trio of gifs featuring those pictured here

These fluid works of art are the tools through which Paley will tell at least part of her story, Seder-Masochism. 

Seder is the Hebrew word for 'order' and the Passover Seder marks the beginning of the celebration of Passover, which is a Jewish high holiday that lasts for seven or eight days, depending on which version of Judaism is being practiced.

At a Seder celebration, rituals are performed in a specific order, as guests take turns telling the story of Exodus.

The story of Exodus explains the Israelites' new relationship to God, based on the law Moses received on Mount Sinai.

This law, according to Jewish tradition, was the Ten Commandments, and possibly the Torah, or 'Oral Law,' as well.

For Paley, she sees the usual construction of the story of Exodus as a victory of the patriarchy, or man, over nature, or female divinity. 

These fluid works of art are the tools through which Paley will tell at least part of her story, Seder-Masochism, which is expected to be finished in February

These fluid works of art are the tools through which Paley will tell at least part of her story, Seder-Masochism, which is expected to be finished in February

'The Exodus is the story of going forth from the "narrow place," from cruel slavery to freedom,' Paley writes in her blog.

'But what were they exiting, really? According to them it was slavery, oppression, and, worst of all, the worship of false idols.'

Paley quotes from the book of Exodus, chapter 20, in which Yahweh, the god of the ancient Hebrews, commands: 

'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.'

Her film will explore another side to this story. 

'How does this story look from the point of view of [those] "other gods"?' Paley asks.

Specifically, she's talking about her goddesses.      

'All humans conceived the divine as female, long before the invention of the male God,' Paley says; That's the inspiration for her goddesses

'All humans conceived the divine as female, long before the invention of the male God,' Paley says; That's the inspiration for her goddesses

In Exodus, Paley says, Mother Nature was portrayed as an oppressor, and man escaped, rather than being expelled.

'[The Goddess] was in Egypt as Hathor, Hekket, Wadjet, Nut, Maat, Isis, and others portrayed already in Moses Goes Down [another of Paley's works]. She was elsewhere in Mesopotamia as Ishtar, Astarte, the "Queen of Heaven" and other mis-named or un-named "idols." She was in Europe. She was everywhere – all humans conceived the divine as female, long before the invention of the male God.'

In discussing how Man turned about from Mother Nature and female divinity, Paley cites how Exodus describes a switch to the demonizing of animalistic spirits, like the scared snake transforming into a demonic serpent, and the disgust and need for control directed at nature and fertility.

She wonders how mankind's desertion of Her must have felt to the Goddess. 

'Watching Man walk out on Her, going forth from revering Nature to enslaving and killing it – would she even want Him back?' Paley writes.

That's the question she hopes to explore in Seder-Masochism.

These goddesses will help her do it.

And thanks to Paley, if you'd like to tell a story with her goddesses, you can, too. She has made the gifs available, free of charge, on her blog.

'Here are 24 individual goddess gifs to use for whatever,' she says. 

'Free Culture. No permission needed. Go crazy. I love you.'

Check out the entire collection here. 

Thanks to Paley, if you'd like to tell a story with her goddesses, you can, too; She has made the gifs available, free of charge, on her blog

Thanks to Paley, if you'd like to tell a story with her goddesses, you can, too; She has made the gifs available, free of charge, on her blog

 

 

Most watched News videos

Comments 47

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.