Metamorphoses (verb): the change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.
Inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a classical epic dating back to 8 A.D that details various myths surrounding ideas of physical and emotional transformation, this series explores the romanticization of mythologies. Drawing inspiration from history painting style, prevalent in Italian renaissance, these photographs aim to intentionally romanticize history to highlight our problematic obsession with the past, and how the body (most often female) is objectified and transformed in order to conform to notions of desire.
Many of these myths are disturbingly problematic and violent, but often disregarded under a veil of beauty. The creation of this project has become an investigation into how history and folklore has shaped the way we view notions of power and space, who has the ability to move through it and who has the voice to tell us the story.
This series has an emphasis on divine beauty and femininity, which correlates with voyeurism and spectatorship, in that beauty is something in which to be perceived. While this series deals with beauty, more importantly I hope it highlights a certain darkness within beauty. From the absurdity of double suicides, thanato eroticisim, sacrifice, to mariticide; Greek mythology was not as beautiful and romantic as we make it out to be. Many of these myths are extremely violent and oppressive towards women and minorities. I have often been asked why I didn’t change the story, switch it around and have the women end on top. My response is always that in order to imagine a better reality, I first have to understand the context of the original narrative. It is wonderful to be hopeful and dream of an alternate reality, one that promotes a different ownership of voice and space. It is ignorant however, to presume that the world has always existed with equal opportunity to everyone.
It is scary how many of these stories are still prevalent in modern culture when discussing dynamics of power, specifically in relation to gender and the representation of women, or lack thereof. In Metamorphoses, I attempt to show ideal beauty in all its forms of glory and consequence, in an effort to romanticize the past while simultaneously contextualizing the present and hopefully reimagining the future.There is so much power to be held in this exploitation of violence within the gaze, and the methodical investigations of those who desire and those who are desired.
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