Bringer of Light 2002
Bringer of Light depicts a serpent breathing out a spiral of fire. The spiral represents the cosmos and the creative force. While the serpent is an original design, it is meant to resemble the feathered serpent sacred to many Mesoamerican cultures. These civilizations to the south have influenced and shaped New Mexico and are an important part of our heritage. This mosaic’s fiery theme is balanced by the mosaics on either side of it; River of Moonlight, to the north, is filled with water imagery, and Tree of Life, to the right, incorporates the elements of earth and air.
Starting at the serpent’s tail and moving from left to right, the symbols above and below depict an eagle, rendered in a Pueblo style, and a stepped mountain, which symbolizes the earth. At the base of the mountain is a crocodile with wide open jaws. This image refers to a Nahua (Aztec) creation story about the universe. To the right of the mountain is a sun, and a rosette sits on the corner. The rosette is an important motif in New Mexican art, furniture, and architecture. Moving closer to the serpent’s head, one can see a rain cloud, with lines of rain spilling down. Below the cloud is a symbol of the ocean: a triangular shape with a wave pattern in the border and conch shells inside it.
Lead Apprentices
Tess Houle, Tiffany Hunter, Jesse Williamson
Lead Artists
PAZ, Cassandra Reid
Funded by
NM Youth Conservation Corps, City of Albuquerque