Artist's Statement

To quote Salvador Dali, “Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing." With Ancient Myths & Modern Metaphors, I've revisited various works of art from the Renaissance through the 1920's. I've recreated the original poses as closely as possible, and I've tried to remain true to the “look and feel” of each original masterpiece. The modern interpretations, however, are mine. They represent my contemporary view of the world. Using ancient myths to dramatize contemporary issues works well for several reasons; the stories are at least vaguely familiar and, for the most part, are over-the-top with larger-than-life characters – much like the times in which we live. These stories translate well, can be quite humorous, and allow me to highlight the contradictions I see in everyday life, and the ways we look at our past, our surroundings, and our lifestyle.

We may have chosen to replace “myth” with “machine” as the symbol of everything human in the modern world – but we do so at our peril. The last time we abandoned mythology we entered that thousand year period we now know as the "Dark Ages”. Myths enlighten and can help us "see" what we really think.

Atlas
(the air we breathe)

Athena and Nike
(at the Olympics)

Fall
(life is a gamble)

All images © William Pitcher 2006 - 2012

The Window Gallery at Comox Valley Art Gallery, Courtenay, BC

Pano view - "Ancient Myths & Modern Metaphors" at the Art Gallery of Golden

A full house at the opening.

Penticton closing.

Post-Photographic 36 x 54" Staged Tableaux

Each piece has been created as a limited edition of 3.

Print #1 of 3 has just now been offered for sale at $1,500.00.

Print #2 of 3 will be offered for sale 6 months after the sale of print #1. It will be sold from our gallery or at auction with a mimimum reserve bid of $2500. Print #3 of 3 will be held in reserve and used for exhibition.

Each is produced as a pigmented ink print on canvas with several layers of varnish. Archival materials are used throughout. Actual image size is 39 x 57 and is gallery wrapped around the edges of heavy-duty stretcher bars. Meticulous attention has been paid to detail. Typically, each image consists of 15 - 40 photographic images and countless layers. (See close up of each image.)

- Night (buzzed by mosquitoes)
- Dawn (Eos) sips her morning coffee over the Rockies
- Day (Hemera) is seen over the Columbia Basin with a new treat for the gods
- Evening (Hesperis) has settled in at Long Beach

- Atlas (with a Canadian Zodiac)
- Pandora (unleashes the consequences of consumerism at a Walmart Store)
- A Prairie Siren (is defending the prairie - a lost cause)
- Circe (adding a little of this and a little of that to our food chain)
- A Mermaid (100% Canadian)

- Artemis (Goddess of the hunt, protector of wildlife, and protector of adolescent girls)
- Andromeda (The original damsel in distress) is chained to a rock in Vancouver Harbour
- Danae (with a twist - the masculine use of gold)

- Athena and Nike (the goddess of war, and the goddess of victory, visit the modern olympics)
- Fall (Iris, goddess of rainbows tries her luck)
- Winter (A winter nymph and a polar bear named Debbie)

- The Lost Pleiad (Electra) is visible over Calgary
- Selene (Full Moon) travels across the sky above Banff
- Nyx (born out of Chaos, and trying to sleep)


- The Three Graces (making a point)

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