Animation Rec: The Winged Man's Burden

[chapbook.livejournal.com]

Title: The Winged Man's Burden
Artist: GingerCatSneeze
Pairing: Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Winglock

Reccer's comments: GingerCatSneeze has branched out into animation, with results that are either charming or powerful in tone. This black-and-white animation falls into the latter category:

Sherlock, shoulders hunched, takes off his beloved coat, revealing two misshapen growths that are criss-crossed with straps. Sherlock pops them off, causing a pair of shaggy, charcoal-colored wings to appear. He then arches his wings, showing their true size and presence, as his head raises and his shoulders straighten.

I suspect from the title and the quiet (perhaps even somber?) mood of the animation that the wings can be seen as a metaphor for Sherlock's genius or his entire sense of self. I lean towards the latter interpretation because Sherlock freely lets fly his deductive genius, rarely restraining that aspect of his personality. What does he try to contain and control? His emotions. Over and over we see him fighting that side of himself, perhaps most famously beside the fireplace at the inn in THoB. In S3 he appears to lose his emotional control, at least in part, with mixed results that suggest why he might have tried to stopper his feelings in the first place. I (and perhaps other fans) dearly hope that Sherlock does not fetter those wings forever, but learns instead to use them to help his great intellectual talent work more effectively (emotional insights can be crucial in any case dealing with people) and to engage in richer relationships with those whom he loves.

Comments

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

I love that you recced an art, as well as the way you did it. Very thoughtful...

[chapbook.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've tried to rec at least a couple artworks most times I've recc'd here. There are so many talented fanartists it's often difficult to decide which piece to choose. :)