Cassandra
Description
The creation of new works contains a degree of risk, uncertainty and relative consequence. It is an attempt to create the visual equivalent of a Greek tragedy and of a special gift given to Cassandra from Apollo, allowing her an extraordinary ability to prophesy future events. Once in possession of this gift she refuses Apollo’s advances and his follow up is an inevitable curse on her prophetic announcements by not having anyone believe her, creating a profound anxiety, confusion, and potential insanity. Cassandra’s psychic gift allows witness to both past and future events, but is of minimal worth in that it is followed by the subsequent curse of knowing it will not be taken seriously.
The insidious nature of Cassandra’s curse, place both a ritualistic and marginal existence on women. The polemic nature of Apollo’s gift was both a disguise and subversion. Apollo’s debasement of Cassandra became two curses of violence in that both marginalized her existence. The images appear as convoluted labyrinthine female fragments with elaborate configurations that suggest sexual violence and compromise. A complete denigration of the female’s identity is unaddressed. Thus the ambiguity of the Cassandra curse still exists.
Perhaps the "me too" movement is reminiscent of singular power, force, and brutality, coupled with false expectation and outcome.