PARALLAX BABYLON

The spelling Babylon is the Latin representation of Greek Babylṓn (Βαβυλών), derived from the native (Babylonian) Bābilim, meaning "gate of the god(s)". The earliest known mention of Babylon as a small town appears on a clay tablet from the reign of Shar-Kali-Sharri (2217–2193 BC) of the Akkadian Empire. Babylon was merely a religious and cultural centre at this point and neither an independent state nor a large city, subject to the Akkadian Empire.

Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or half-angle of inclination between those two lines.[1][2] Due to foreshortening, nearby objects show a larger parallax than farther objects, so parallax can be used to determine distances.

The facts, myths and fables surrounding the existence of such old city are many. Most known to us are its hanging gardens as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world which allegedly existed circa 600 BC. There is no formal account nor mention in Babylonian texts of their existence.

This painting, Parallax Babylon is both, a physical representation of Scandinavian spires, roads and bridge structures, roman amphitheatres or possibly a section of a coliseum of the classical period. This cityscape and skyline also symbolises coexistence of past, present and future cities, and thus the way I see this being a parallax interplay. I produced this work while travelling from Mantova, Verona and Milano in Italy, and Malmo, Lund and Copenhagen in Scandinavia Octover-November, 2023. 

   

Guillermo Aranda-MenaⒸ2024