Narkissos

Decided that I required a theme for my sculpture last week. So i decided to focus on something that inspires me. Classical lit and ancient myths have always been fond favourites of mine and i cherish each tale for the lessons they teach us and the sometimes wicked and ironic humour that they hold in store for those willing to sift between their dusty pages.

One in particular i remember is the tale of Narcissus and Echo. Concerning the Greek youth(named), he is a boy of great vital youth and good looks. Spurning all admirers and potential lovers, he takes himself away to the woods. When followed by one of his many gazers, Echo, she too, is shunned and left heartbroken to die a lonely death, leaving only her voice.....clever stuff eh?! Then he comes to a still pool of water that shows him his own reflection. Lost in his perfect image he is besotted with his own beauty, although not knowing it is himself, and is drowned when he tries to clasp at the reflection.

I think that as my work goes, i realise that this will only "reach out" to a certain audience or (within that crowd) a specific sort of individual. Since this focuses very much on the past, or the reliance that my audience knows the story well, there may be varied interest. However, as with many artists, this is what i enjoy doing and shouldn't have to make many compromises. Indeed, the more i consider it, this subject, along with other such myths, may not be so obscure or exclusive as i deem it. Man has always been intrigued by the pitfalls and morals learned by his forefathers in myths and legends, and simply taken delight in regarding them as works of fantsy. I suppose the fact that art practitioners have continued to study and reinvent them shows that they do hold popularity.

I have contemplated the option of incuding a book with my own version of the tale, to aid those who don't "get" the artowrk. Alhtough i don't know if this is giving the audience too much information. There is always great work in a little ambiguity, i find. Would be great to know any thoughts on that.

Narrative aside, i think that the story is well known and has a great amount of potential. What is also interesting to discover is that there is only a select amount of pieces that have been conducted on the subject. This means that it is ripe for study. I already have started to draw up blueprints for the final piece and perhaps the steps i make towards that.