Of Myth and Men is both a visually and thematically collage-like series of oil paintings. I mix art-historical images from Greek and Old Testament myths with romantic, familial and platonic relationships from my own life. I have chosen to work with popular myths that I personally identify with but that have also been repeatedly painted throughout history.
A new story is being told. The characters from these well-known myths have been recast. The female heroine represents me, poorly disguised in a wig and with a European face taken from art history. The men are people who have played a part in dramatic events in my life, their faces hidden behind animal masks. The paintings mix realistically rendered figures with semi-abstracted patterns of lines and flowers. The figures are set against cloudy skyscapes with uneasy horizon lines. Areas of exposed canvas and wood explicitly acknowledge the illusion of painting.
Rife with symbolism, these paintings borrow from and offer a retelling of mythologies while reflecting on my own experiences. The protagonists and antagonists in myths are not always clear as multiple interpretations of the stories exist. The stories we tell ourselves are often to make us feel better about situations we felt we have no control over. Of Myth and Men asks the viewer to consider how we, like the Ancients’ use of mythology, create stories to understand important events in our lives.
Solo exhibition, June 19 – July 19, 2014 at Initial Gallery in Vancouver, Canada.