When we’re all born, Saturn’s somewhere. And the Saturn cycle takes around about 29 years. That’s when we’ve gotta wake up and smell the coffee. Because if we’ve just been sort of relying on our cleverness, or relying, you know, just kind of floating along… Saturn comes along and hits you over the head, and says, “Wake up”.
It’s time for you to get real about life And sort out who you really are.
– Saturn Returns interlude, eternal sunshine (2024).
Astrologers believe that the first Saturn return, which happens in one’s late twenties (usually between the ages of 28 and 30), is a critical period where individuals face the challenges of adulthood, reassess their life goals, and confront their own limitations. It’s often associated with a sense of urgency to ‘grow up’ and make important life decisions regarding career, relationships, and personal identity.
I’ve recently came across a set of unused cover shoots of eternal sunshine. All photos feature a pair of striking red gloves, which could possibly signify the blood of rebirth or the raw passion and pain that can accompany profound personal changes. The light, casting shadows and illuminating Ariana Grande’s face partially, plays on the themes of awareness and concealment, authenticity and hiding, much like the cycle of Saturn that brings to light the hidden depths of our being.
The obscured eyes suggest that true emotions or clarity are kept out of view. It’s like a mask of sorts, a poised facade maintained even as the eyes, the windows to the soul, are hidden.
The warm tones and soft front light enhance the intimate atmosphere, corresponding to the album’s “eternal sunshine” concept, meanwhile also contrasted the vastness and ambiguity that the darkness of background implies. The shadowy background sort of represents the often solitary journey of self-discovery, accentuating the feeling of isolation that accompany most major life transitions. But, it is within this shaded, private, almost void space that the vibrant red – the color of life force, struggle, and passion – stands out. In the depths of our own uncertainty, there is vitality and the potential for renewal.
Notably, a blurring effect is an constantly featured technique in Ariana Grande latests’ photographies:
The blurring adds an artistic layer to the photograph, apart from the stark red gloves and obscured eyes. Ariana Grande’s serene and perhaps a bit enigmatic smile signifies her current state of mind with inner contentment.
The ambiguity leaves massive space of intepretation.