Other People's Deities
Mixed Media Portraits
Other People’s Deities is an ongoing series of portraits and sculptures.
Some of these gods and goddesses, like Dhat-Badan of the Himyarites, are no longer worshiped. Their histories and lore are obscured by later religions which dominate their lands of origins.
Other gods and goddesses, like Anahit of Armenia, Osiris of the Egyptians, and Tlaloc of the Aztecs, are known to us but worshiped only by a few neopagans. But, while most of the mythology of Anahit is lost to time, the stories of Osiris are detailed and well known. Images of Tlaloc of the Aztecs are well known to the people of Mexico although his history is obscured by Christian influences.
Some of these pieces represent active, living gods and goddesses. Asase Yaa is still worshiped in the fields of Ghana. Sedna is an influential Inuit goddess. Agni remains the fire-god of Hinduism, invoked in ceremonies and displayed in the southeast corner of Hindu temples. These gods and goddesses are widely known outside the Judeo-Christian world.
Images of Sedna, the Priestess of Dhat-Badan, and Osiris use vintage photography as the basis of the portraiture. None of the names of the subjects were recorded by the original photographers or by the publications which used their images.
Other pieces are based on the work of other artists, known and unknown. Anahit is a drawing of an original bronze sculpture, featured on Armenian stamps but owned by the British Museum. Agni follows the drawing of Nanadala Bose and another, unknown artist. Asase Yaa and Tlaloc are drawn from sculptures, artists unknown.
The first 7 pieces in this series were shown as part of the Gladstone Hotel’s Grow Op 2020.
Anahit in Shrink Film
Here is Anahit, Goddess of Fertility and the Harvest. I like these portraits because they are double sided. They share lots of information but some details can be changed. The line work sits on top of the ink and can only be seen from one side.
Shrink film, ink, gel pen marker.
January 1st 2021
