Medusa Rising Medusa Rising Affordable Art 106207
Helge Olle Janssen - Medusa Rising | Other Art Art Painting
  Logo
USD In the USA you can call us FREE on
1-866-778-8022
 
     UI  Home  UI UI  Gallery  UI UI  My Favorites  UI UI  Power Search  UI  
    Random | By Subject | By Category | By Medium | Recent Additions | Recently Sold | Special Offers | Artists | Galleries | Send an eCard!
Search   
Currency 
Newsletter   

Helge Olle Janssen - "Medusa Rising"

"Medusa Rising"

Medusa Rising
Oil on Canvas, US$ 705

Medusa Rising

Send as an eCard!

Details

Oil on Canvas
oil on canvas

W: 700mm x H: 700mm x D: 25mm
W: 28" x H: 28" x D: 1"

Approx. Weight: 0.5kg

This work is unframed

Price

US$ 705

Scale

Person Thumbnail

About "Medusa Rising"

I came across the story of Medusa while researching a piece of ceramic work. I was shocked at the inherent patriarchal nature of the Greek Myths and had never been struck so clearly!

Of course I have encountered these myths before, but the inherent patriarchal bias never occurred to me within this new-found context.

Recent shifting global dynamics and sweeping revelations of shockingly distorted narratives written to favour and hence legitimise unfair power games of 'victors' gave me a new context from which to review the Medusa myth in particular.

I felt that Medusa had been wronged and that her decapitation and her demonisation was NO VICTORY but a ruthless slaughter of 'the feminine'.

I also felt that her punishment for being raped was vindictive and based on jealous revenge and perhaps has some link to the reason why some cultures stone women who have been raped.

Having being raped by Poseidon (to whom Athena was attracted) and then having being punished for desecrating her temple (no accountability for Poseidon of course) is an OUTRAGE to a non patriarchal paradigm!! Period.

I feel we are living in a time when ALL PREVIOUS PATRIACHAL NARRATIVES whether religious, political, philosophical, need to undergo reassessment as they have distorted and twisted humanitarian interactive narratives.

Having myself survived a traumatic childhood of victimisation and bullying, and being ripe for degeneration into drug addiction and possible suicide, I had to re-investigate my childhood from a completely rationalised perspective to try and understand my dynamics and to reassess my context, if I was to emerge as a rational adult not hell bent on buying into the patriarchal mind set and making everyone else suffer!!

This of course has become the story of my life and some aspect of this is covered in my novel "TELL TALE".

ART and self expression, reading and research became a guiding tool through which I was to negotiate my healing.

In order to heal I had to forego the dominant patriarchal paradigm as all it afforded was victimisation and punishment. Clearly this was not for me.

The point here is that if I could discover a healing process which had worked (by and large) for me, then why not apply this reassessment to patriarchal outmoded paradigms which everyone takes for granted, yet no longer serves new perspectives in this rapidly changing world?

We cannot continue under this guise any longer as the world demands a more equitable and harmonious interaction.

Hence Medusa Rising.

Within the knowledge of her mistreatment and placing a clear equitable gaze at her mis-punishment, and realising how patriarchal narratives have brought about suffering and domination which is becoming more and more insane as evidenced in global and domestic dynamics, the Medusa myth is ripe for creative re-investigaton.

We therefore need to understand by beginning with the realisation that her slaying was an act of COWARDICE and is not in the least bit 'heroic'.

In short:

Medusa had been raped in Athena's temple ((for her beauty)) and then punished by turning her skin greenish and head of snakes by Athena. Any man who looked into her eyes in fear was turned to stone.

The reason why I claim the slaying was NOT an act of heroism is that Perseus (her slayer) could not overcome her gaze and used trickery (the mirror) to slay her. He is thus seen as having OUTWITTED her and hence the victor. That is a specifically patriarchal affirmation.

She was tricked into decapitation -her head becoming a potent weapon- and her slayer declared a hero!

This narrative is RIDDLED with patriarchal fear....and distorted with with patriarchal presumption.

Medusa in my painting is thus depicted as 'rising' as she is rightfully angry as she reclaims her power i.e. her gaze, while at the same time being in indignation of her mythological (i.e. past) treatment.

I have depicted her with dreadlocks (which of course can still be interpreted as snakes) to modernise the myth.

Helge Olle Janssen

I love this art!
Tweet I love this art!
Facebook
Share on Facebook

Share on Pinterest

View all 69 works by Helge Olle Janssen

About Helge Olle

Helge Olle Janssen

Photographer: Gerald Botha of Stella Nova Studios, Kloof, KZN 2016

Costume design and construction, make-up, concept: Helge Janssen.


The period of disaster has lifted. PRICE of works has been updated.



My art is formed through a combination of myth, psyche, archetype and innovation drawn from life's many many influences...and has even amazed me with its portent...drawn from a deeply intuitive cognitive consciousness. We have so much more information as our source of inspiration amid a myriad of vying energies.

There was a time 1995 when I approached every single gallery in Gauteng searching for an exhibition space. All of them had a two year plus waiting list. But it was not until I approached a Gallery in the vicinity of the Market Square when the curator took out a book from New York and said to me: look at this....this is the type of art that will get you an exhibition.


With the current madness and orchestrated insanity busy bombing our minds daily, with full intention to DISORIENTATE, OBFUSCATE and DEMORALISE our lives, we have to stand strong and focused.

It is more important than ever that these moronic forces that are hell bent on subjugating the world to its morass of dubious and despicable control mechanisms by robbing us of our sovereignty are defeated. It is a GIVEN that their plans are so DELUDED that they will never succeed. The mere fact that they even THINK that their plan will succeed is alarming enough. It has FAILURE built into it. What it boils down to is that they are hence trying to take as many people as they can with them. It is THEIR end game. It is THEIR fear. It is THEIR stupidity.

And of course being shadow banned as an artist is shameful. But the more I am ignored, hidden, the more powerful my work becomes. It is a given. Thank you in advance.

Price Range

US$ 56-12,341

Email

Exhibitions

"The mechanism whereby change happens in a democracy is to speak out. And if nobody listens, then to speak louder" - David Lewis.

Education

Natal Teachers' Senior Diploma III (Botany and Zoology)

People who chose Helge Olle's work also chose work by:

Find other:

Password:
Help! I've forgotten my password!