MYTH

I’m constantly inspired by our fascination in creating mythology or simply resurrecting and re appropriating the old.

I went to see Orpheus by Little Bulb at the Battersea Arts Centre last week and was reminded why I love theatre.

The myth of Orpheus though is one that has always captured my heart.  It is about faith and ultimately doubt, making a mistake and living with the consequences. What it is to be a human.

I think it’s an important and interesting role of artists to carve contemporary mythologies.

Stories to share and live by.

Kate Tempest’s last show Brand New Ancients explored just this. How classical gods have their faults- and perhaps today our idols are too perfect.

Persephone

I saw this painting in Kansas a few years ago by Thomas Hart Benton. It is titled Persephone, commenting on agriculture and wealth, harvest and the coveted youth in a contemporary America.

The historical evolution of mythology is equally fascinating.  A few years ago saw an exhibition on Alexander the Great at The Hermitage in Amsterdam (now on in Sydney!), which I highly recommend if you get the chance to see it.  It is Catherine The Great’s collection of paintings and historical artefacts surrounding Alexander, as she was infatuated with his story, projecting herself upon it in many ways.  And curiously many sculptures Alexander commissioned of himself were purposefully representative of the Greek god Dionysus, a mythology he identified himself with.

Alexander the Great

Pele

I have always been interested in indigenous stories in culture closely connected with their landscape and the earth. When I travelled to Hawaii I was enchanted by how young their mythology was and you could really see how it had evolved. Compared to the Australian dreamtime which starts in the darkness at the beginning of time, the Hawaiian goddess of the volcano, Pele, swam there from Tahiti!  The islands are geographically very young and historically the first Hawaiians were indeed from Tahiti.  And she is very much still alive today, everyone you speak to on the Big Island refers to the volcano as Pele and whether she is angry or peaceful.  And of course they would, her mood will immediately effect their harvest and even safety living on the island.

Our planet is an unpredictable myriad of life force, and it’s mythology a humbling reminder.