The Umbilical Cord | Limited Edition Giclée Print
Medium: Mixed media – Ink, Acrylic, Pencil on Paper
Style: Abstract, Expressive, Symbolic
Techniques: Layered brushwork, fluid movement, contrast of light and shadow
Palette: Soft whites, muted greys, and warm yellows—evoking themes of attachment, choice, and emotional weight
Key Features: The abstract figure in transition, the fluid energy of connection, and the subtle tension between grounding and release
Description:
Created during Chapter 2 (2020 - 2023), this piece is part of the Versions of Robert Collection—a deeply personal body of work reflecting my journey through my mother’s stroke, dissociation, and eventual dementia. This period of my life involved immense inner soul work, each piece acting as a page in a diary, often accompanied by a poem or story.
In “The Umbilical Cord,” we explore the profound weight of connection. The composition carries an almost ghostlike presence, hinting at themes of birth, attachment, loss, and choice.
• The umbilical cord—the first connection we experience—symbolises life, dependence, and the ties that shape us.
• Is this cord grounding, nurturing, or restricting? Does it provide security, or does it become the very thing that holds us back?
• The tension between connection and freedom is a universal struggle. Who do we give our energy to? What attachments do we carry? When do we hold on, and when do we let go?
The shifting light within the piece suggests that this isn’t just about one relationship, but rather a broader contemplation of how we tether ourselves to people, beliefs, and past experiences.
This artwork is a meditation on the delicate balance of human attachment. It asks the viewer to reflect on their own connections, dependencies, and the choices that shape their emotional freedom. Will your ties lift you or weigh you down?
Details:
- Size: A4 Illustration
- Material: Mixed media on paper
- Unframed
- Original Illustration available
- Only 150 prints available in this edition
Giclée Print | The Umbilical Cord
by Robert Paul:
The Umbilical Cord
..
The umbilical cord holds you
Where will you connect it
Who will you give it to
Will your need for connection
Ground you
Or will it be the noose around your neck
..
