"Both the great and lesser mythologies of mankind have, up to the present, always served simultaneously, both to lead the young from their estate in nature, and to bear the aging back to nature and on through the last dark door." – Joseph Campbell
The imagery in my work is derived from dream and classical mythology. My fascination with these subjects began in elementary school. At that time, myths were no more than bedtime stories, a form of entertainment that spurred my imagination. Through my work I’ve discovered that myth isn’t only about storytelling. As Campbell states, myth can be seen as the “documents of the childhood of our race,” as part of a collective unconscious with similar symbols and stories that appear across cultures. Roland Barthes takes this a step further. Myth can be a message, a type of speech, “Everything… can be a myth.”
Although myth may not hold the same ritualistic function it once did, it provides a vast vocabulary of imagery and symbols that I feel compelled to work with. For me, the creative act is a form of ritual. The application of paint to canvas is an energy transfer between artist and artwork. Perhaps myth is restored with its lost ceremonial function through the creative act. There is an extended tradition of artists who work in the realm of myth. Francisco Goya, Anselm Keifer, and Frida Kahlo have all referenced these stories. The collective symbols and images they chose brought deeper meaning to their paintings. It is my intent to use this imagery to describe my experiences. Through painting, I find meaning behind the myth.
