Lady and the Minotaur

ORIGINAL PAINTING / ARTWORK
12" x 16" Acrylic on canvas paper.
Copyright 2002 Melissa Bain. All rights reserved.

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ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

I've always had a keen fascination with Greek Mythology, or at least from as early as I can remember having a first exposure to it, which I'll accredit to my mom playing The Best Stories of Aesop, Aesop's fables on record for my brothers and I to listen to.  We'd lay eyes-closed and with ears and imagination fully-attuned aside the living room record player -- a monstrous and ornate mid-century wood veneer entertainment-style console with built-in record player, changer and an AM FM radio. There's nothing quite like the amplified speaker sound of that needle as it first hits the vinyl. But I digress.

Greek mythology is as fascinating now as it was then, and thousands of years ago. However, the stories are much more than a collection of enchanting tales. Most of them can be described as psychological allegories that deal with the complex, subtle and recurring problems of human existence.  The myth of the Minotaur is one that is as compelling as it is tragic, and also varied in it's depictions and interpretations over time; making it a highly desirable subject for artists throughout the centuries to translate into  painted and sculptured forms.

The Lady & The Minotaur painting is an alternate and more fanciful depiction of the Minotaur's (unseen) persona; one that is dominant yet protective in it's masculine nature versus savage -- which was the common assumption (a projection) of humans placed upon the Minotaur. The painting shows the Minotaur placing a divine lady to safety under a Mastic tree, and her admiration for his care.

I love this painting because of the varied way in which different people perceive it. Some view the painting as described above, and others see it vastly different -- as being highly sexual or savage. I implore you, the viewer to observe and reflect on your own thoughts, reaction and formed assumptions of the painting and the why behind it.