Installation View
Statement
In my series Prometheus Rewritten, I use the myth of Prometheus to examine capitalism’s monetization of art and its effect on me as an artist. This Greek myth tells the story of Prometheus, a titan who was given the task of creating humankind out of clay. Motivated by his love for his creation, he stole fire from the gods, delivering it to humankind to ease their lives. For his transgression he was chained to a cliff, his liver pecked out by an eagle only to have it regrow for the next day, condemned to eternal torture.
According to Greek Myths and Legends by Dr. Steve Kershaw and J.K. Jackson, myth functions as a fictional story that reflects a truth of the world, so I rewrote this myth to reflect a truth of the world today: the truth that under capitalism artists are undervalued and forced to make art for the purpose of profit. I do so by researching how the myth of Prometheus is presented in literary works, most notably Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus and Prometheus Unbound by Percy Bysshe Shelley. I consider my work to be a continuation of these pieces. Other research methods include experimenting with film compositions and angles to reflect the story visually and adding a contemporary spin to the genre of oil paintings depicting Greek myth. Additionally, I researched the history behind Greek mythology’s origins as stories passed down orally.
My process included creating video reference, allowing complete immersion in the creation of these pieces from the acting to the execution. In Prometheus I, I am pictured creating a figure out of clay. I used a sharp Dutch angle to create a sense of unease in the painting, cementing the malicious nature of the envelopes in the foreground, though the figure herself is blissfully unaware of this. Prometheus II focuses on the figure delivering fire to her creation. In this piece I utilize a high angle to make my figure appear vulnerable and helpless, as well as using the rule of thirds to introduce a strong negative space. In Prometheus III, I illustrate my worst fear: capitalism taking the joy out of the creation of art, and me accepting this fate. I use an eye-level shot to connect with the viewer, making them receptive to the exhaustion and acceptance shown in the figure’s expression. The sound piece accompanying this exhibition is the synthesis- replicating the oral tradition that Greek myths originated from and using it to create my own myth.
