Eternal Timelines and Archways & Symbolism of Time in the Contemporary artworks of Theriault
Theriault’s work deals withthe idea that all moments in time exist simultaneously, and no single moment is more real than another ;they just are.
The Cathedral of Time and our passing through
Imagine walking through a grand cathedral. The arches rise above, echoing both timelessness and history. As you pass through its corridors, you sense the blending of past, present, and future—each era fading in and out, coexisting within the same sacred space. This is the essence of Claude Edwin Theriault’s work: the concept of coexistence across all points in time—an artistic exploration of what physicists call eternalism, the idea that all moments exist simultaneously, and no single moment is more “real” than another. Theriault captures this complex dance of time through his art and music, blending cultural layers and creating emotional resonance in ways no one else dares to tread.
Claude Edwin Theriault
His visual art and song lyrics for Cajun Dead et le Talkin’ Stick are totemic narratives that defy linear perceptions of time. In Theriault’s creative world, every archway, corridor, and lyric symbolizes eternal presence, where time doesn’t pass—it flows through itself, like light streaming through stained glass, casting ancient shadows on modern walls.
But how does Theriault make this concept of simultaneous time feel so intimate, so close to home? More intriguingly, how does he fold these ideas into Cajun culture, layering symbols and emotions that speak to something deeper than the Heritage Patrimonial Industry tradition? Like in his Cajun Dead et Le Walking Stick trilogy, the loveable Rogue character is a shape-shifting time traveller in the 1755 Americas when he meets the two main characters.
Claude Edwin Theriault
The Symbolism of Cathedral Archways: Where Time Flows Like a River
Claude Edwin Theriault’s use of cathedral spaces in his visual work is no accident. The grand arches and corridors symbolize more than just architectural brilliance; they serve as metaphors for the eternal flow of time. Imagine a cathedral standing still across centuries while the world around it changes, fades, and reforms. The structure remains constant, a witness to the passage of time, while the past, present, and future move through its spaces, intersecting and intermingling in complex ways.
In Theriault’s art, these Hibernia arches are more than stone—they’re portals. The fading in and out of different eras within these spaces symbolizes their simultaneous existence, much like the theory of eternalism. Past and future are not distant, separate realms; they cohabit in the same space, influencing each other and shaping the present moment. This is why his artwork feels so deeply layered—there’s a sense that we’re not just looking at a painting but peering into multiple moments in time, all unfolding together.
Theriault’s vision challenges our linear understanding of time, suggesting that perhaps we are always in multiple moments at once, whether we recognize it or not. Just as the light shifts and changes through the cathedral’s windows, so does our perception of time within his work.
Narrative and Symbolism: Timelessness in Cajun Dead et le Talkin’ Stick
The idea of coexistence across time is not only a visual motif in Theriault’s work but also plays a key role in his songwriting, particularly in the lyrics of Cajun Dead et le Talkin’ Stick. In these narratives, Theriault weaves together symbols from different eras, collapsing centuries into a single verse. His songs unfold like stories from parallel lives, with characters who seem to walk across different historical periods, like his Marie Stuart song lyrics seen from the deaf-mute voyant sage who first saw her as a child in La Loire circa 1549 to her last day, their identities shaped by both the past and the future in his three-part Trilogy song series.
Take, for instance, the symbolic “shinin’ light wood snake” in his lyrics. This archetype appears across different time layers, transforming as it moves through them. In one moment, it slithers through the swamps of the past; in the next, it glows in the neon lights of a future landscape. Using these symbols, Theriault connects his characters across multiple timelines, suggesting they are all part of the same eternal story.
In Theriault’s world, the wood snake doesn’t just represent a creature—it becomes a living metaphor for the fluidity of time itself. Just as the snake sheds its skin and transforms, so do we, evolving across eras while remaining connected to the essence of who we are.
Emotional Resonance: The Timeless Soul
Theriault’s art and music challenge our perceptions of time and make us feel the weight of its eternal presence. There’s an emotional depth in his work that comes from his exploration of timelessness. By blurring the lines between past, present, and future, he evokes a sense of continuity and cyclicality that touches something deep within us. It’s as if he’s saying, “We’ve been here before, and we’ll be here again.”Because it is all happening at the same time.
This emotional resonance is most apparent in Theriault's balancing personal memory with collective, cultural memory. His Cajun roots play a vital role here, as he blends individual experiences with the broader historical memory of the Cajun people. His songs and visuals become a space where the personal and the collective overlap, much like the parallel narratives in The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles. There’s a haunting sense in both that the past is never really gone—it lives alongside us, influencing our present and future.
For Theriault, the cyclical nature of history and memory is not something to be feared but embraced. He creates a deeply personal and universally resonant tapestry by placing different cultural periods within the same timeless spaces. It’s a reminder that we are all part of something larger, something eternal.
Beyond Time: Exploring Timelessness in Theriault’s Artwork and Lyrics
Theriault’s work defies easy categorization. It’s neither fully rooted in the past nor confined to the present. Instead, his art invites us to step into a space where time flows in all directions at once in a compendium of all universal events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intent ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future in terms of all entities and life forms, not just human. A place where the past whispers in our ears in the heart and now while the future beckons on the horizon. Through his cathedral arches, Cajun lyrics, and archetypal symbols, Theriault gives us a glimpse of eternity—not an abstract concept but a lived experience.
His artistic vision challenges us to think about time differently: not as a linear progression but as a series of interconnected moments, all existing together. It’s a vision that resonates emotionally, culturally, and spiritually, offering a fresh perspective on the interconnectedness of all things.
In this timeless world, we are not just witnesses to the passage of time—we are active participants in its eternal dance and forever here.