Justin's Close Up Picture: Szukalski's Struggle

[knpoole]

The hand in the close up of Justin's Picture with the bird looks like Szukalski's Struggle. Does anyone agree/confirm? Also, I know that's a falconer's glove in Justin's pic, but it doesn't look like any falcon I've seen. It looks kind of like a juvenile bald eagle.

This is the best pic I could find
http://www.christinevadai.com/jBAEA.jpg

If someone disagrees, I'd like to know what kind of falcon they think it is.

It looks like the same sculpture is in Adam's picture, and I'm pretty sure that is supposed to be Szukalski's Struggle. The bird in his pic is a black-billed magpie.

Aren't there any other TOOL/Bird lovers. :)

Here's a link to Stanislav Szukalski's website. I wonder if the sculpture is original in the tool artwork?

http://szukalski.com/

[bruised_kiwi]

sorry not a bird lover, though in the bird close up (what kind of bird I am not sure) It looks like the bird ir holding something in his claw (not sure if this is the right terminology, again NOT a bird love)....looks like amber.......

[Vicarious_Lee]

Who ever said that you "have" to use a certain glove, for a certain bird, if it works it works! you wanna talk to a tool bird lover? talk to rogerdoger, he is one of the most insightful tool fans, that i have ever met, and he also i think still has a thing for birds.

[skizzott]

You did notice that it's in Adam's pic too right? The "struggle" sculpture that is. I wonder if that means anything? (being in both pics)

[knpoole]

I'm not sure what its supposed to mean, but with a name like "struggle" it seems like it might be symbolic. It does seem odd that they would use it in more than one photo.

As for what the bird is holding, I think it might just be a blurry candle reflection off of the sculpture.

On a side not, the artwork in the 10,0000 days..... artwork is pretty awesome. They must have had thousands of dollars worth of rare masterpieces at that photo shoot (crowley books, struggle, the artwork in danny's pic on the wall {I forgot who did those but it was posted on the tool page rare}, etc.)

[knpoole]

I found this in another post:
"A single magpie means sorrow in british folklore." (from implandnoises)

I also found this at the Catholic Encyclodpedia

"The Eagle is a symbol of Christ and His Divine nature, of regeneration by baptism; it is also an emblem of St. John the Evangelist. As the eagle can gaze upon the shining orb of the sun with steadfast eyes, so can Christ gaze undazzled upon the refulgent glory of God the Father."

I'm not a catholic are a christian (not that there is anything wrong with that) so don't think I'm getting goddy, but in other folklore, such as native american culture, the eagle holds similar meaning. That is, a connection to God/Sun/Sky/Unknown etc..

Update:
Here's another eagle quote from JHOM (jewish site):

"In both general and Jewish folkart the eagle often appears as symbolic of the divine powers of deliverance and watchful protection."

[knpoole]

So far I have kind of speculated the following:

Adam: Science/Sorrow/Alone (from magpie, skeleton, death imagery and general science theme)

Maynard: Business/Communication (Phones, seems like a business theme but im not to sure on this one.

Justin: Struggle/Connection (eagle and and struggle sculpture)

Danny: Spirituality/Enlightenment (crowley books, tree of life artwork, "spirit" thing)

This follows the TOOL= Tool for lachrymology (sp?) theme. In other words, it takes the struggle of overcoming tragedy/sorrow for one to advance their being.

Again I'm just speculating. Not that it really matters since I'm begining to think I'm talking to myself. However, if you follow eastern philosophy, I guess I've been talking to myself since day one.

[dancingflame]

look at the afterword: http://www.amazon.com/Struggle-Art-Szukalski-Eva-Kirsch/dp/0867194790/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1324241580&sr=8-3#reader_0867194790

" a number of castings have been made directly from the original work which are now in the hands of collectors around the world" (including danny?) it also appears on dissectional...damn! i`d like to know more about szukalski and will probably get one of the books some time in the future...

[Lateralareallofus]

on Struggle by Stan Szuzalski himself: "The thumb is Quality and the fingers are Quantity. Without thumbs we couldn't make tools, and without tools we couldnt make civilizations. Out of a dozen people, one person will be creative, the one who provokes and proposes ideas. This individual is sent by nature. He is the means by which people can survive historically against adversity."

WOW. that book looks really interesting. read the article on amazon about that Struggle piece. This artist seems like a fascinating person. the author has some really good insights too. The individual vs society. This ties into TOOL and the album so well. Duality. the individual's struggle to be himself/what is right vs doing what society demands.
Also think megalomania as in Rosetta Stoned. The reason why i love that song so much is that it acts as a reminder that we need to balance out being a good person and improving the world while remaining humble and not thinking of oneself as the Hero or chosen One.

The juvenile eagle looks very similar to the one Justin holds. The juvenile takes 5 years to grow into a mature eagle. unless thats a golden ealge with Justin, but im betting its a young blad ealge. So maybe the next album will feature the fully developed ealge...then i guess it would be their last album

[dancingflame]

as far as i know szukalski is the "favorite artist" of the band-members...same goes for king crimson as a favorite band and probably aleister crowley in the field of writing...all three of them are very good examples for uncompromising art/development of the own artistic and spiritual way or fantasy or whatever you want to call it...a motif that goes along with the bands philosophy very well...and TONS of inspiration...and in the public field none of the above is widely aknowledged though highly genuine and -well- kind of important...the "hero"/icon-thing as you point it out is also very important- the real artists are living a life in the shadows, making music on the streets instead of casting shows and are (as we all know) probably (if at all) respected decades or centuries after their lifetime...probably more people appreciate the "art" of for example ed hardy or keith harring more than that of szukalski and like-minded...a vivid metaphor for the state of human consciousness...great tool help making people like him more known- he deserves it! :)

[Sleeper0013]

I think Szukalskis biography should be taken into account, Indeed he was a briliant mind but the way he treated people resulted in his alienation, and subsequent loss of his benefactor.

I would point you all to my most recent posts in the puzzle thread regarding the black brothers...
also my last post is a easily understandable and condensed summation of all that hermetics is trying to convey. Hermeticism was a metaphoric language that was developed during the dark ages to confound the deluded from crucifying alchemists. Alchemists that had intention of teaching fundamental laws of the universe and thus liberating all sentient beings from servitude to self-serving tyrants. Thus the Name "hermetically sealed".

Fortunately today these truths can be openly discussed due to the fact that the organization that would seek to thwart these discussions have mostly lost sight of their intended goal, and have fallen to convolution and disarray.

[Sleeper0013]

One other thing the magpie represents entropy in the alchemical process, thus the necessity of STRUGGLE to overcome atrophy

[Lateralareallofus]

where did he say that?