Art and Storytelling: Let's Explore the Dialogue Between Art and Tarot.

One of the things I’ve always found interesting about tarot cards is how none of the 78 illustrations truly stand alone. Sure, each card has its own meaning, but they all seem to be in constant conversation with one another. Through symbolism, storytelling, and shared archetypes, the whole deck becomes this beautifully interconnected system where everything matters, and if there's one thing Artists need... it's to believe that everything holds meaning.

Feather on a footpath...meaning. Song on the radio... meaning. Bird poo on your shoulder... you get the point.

That fluidity is what makes tarot and art so powerful. It gives the reader space to interpret the images in countless different ways. A single card or painting can mean one thing in isolation, but the meaning shifts depending on the cards around it. It’s like they’re having their own little dialogue, a language we are invited to interpret through our own perception.

This idea really stuck with me as I looked at two of my own recent illustrations. They weren’t originally created to be a part of a tarot deck, but once I placed them side by side, I realized they were talking to each other too.

The first image, tentatively titled Table Trinkets, is a hand painted exploration of the way we decorate ourselves to appear more desirable. In it, a figure sits at a table surrounded by various objects, things I’ve personally used at different points in my life. Some of them, like the red lipstick placed at the top of this smorgasbord of self obsession, are symbolic of my desire to be seen as physically attractive. Others, like a glass of green alcohol, represent ways I’ve tried to numb feelings of anxiety and self consciousness.

Placed in the centre of the table, is a compact mirror, which the figure is reaching for. Is the figure reaching for this mirror out of vanity, or does she reach for the only object on the table which may possibly offer a glimpse of her true self among the scattered objects she has been hiding behind?

Uff, this blog post is starting to sound like a monologue from an episode of Dawson's Creek (that reference is for the Millennials). That's enough of that...let's talk about clowns.

The second piece is (again, tentatively) called Twins. It’s a hand drawn illustration about self love and emotional independence. In it, two figures who look almost identical are embracing gently. They’re dressed in theatrical clown costumes, like performers who’ve just stepped off stage. The idea is that the show is over, they’ve shed their masks and can finally rest together in a space of total trust and acceptance.

Looking at these two images side by side, I realized they’re having their own conversation. One explores the masks we put on to navigate the world, the other imagines what it looks like when we take them off. Even though they weren’t made as a pair, they feel deeply connected.

And that’s what I find so fascinating about art and tarot. The meaning of a painting, like a tarot card, can change greatly depending the other pieces displayed with it and the personal experience of the person looking at it.

Jenni Mclaughlin Art.

Table Trinkets. Jenni Mclaughlin.

Twins. Jenni Mclaughlin.