On the subject of snakes

I’ve been playing with a few images that interest me – specifically Medusa and her snakes.

Everyone knows the main story of Medusa (turn people to stone), and then everyone will correct you on the story of Medusa to highlight the female misery aspect. You’ve got rape, then being cursed, then killed etc. etc.

But I’m interested in the shapes, colours, lines. If you work out your aesthetics first, you can add narrative and symbolism later. Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful said Mr Morris; purveyor of fine wallpapers.

What a terrible thing to take a tragedy tale and make it all about aesthetics! Haha, so from a purely aesthetic point of view, I’m looking at imagery from the twenties, art nouveau, etc.

I’m also interested in Japanese erotic art, advertising, vintage comic books, Instagram influencers, vintage textures, imperfect representations, aspirational imagery, personas.

And also accessories…..I’ve done a few images in the past where women are using animals as accessories to either represent their interests or an emotion. I don’t think Medusa’s snake are accessories – they’re a fundamental part of who she became.

I found an image (selfie) that interested me by a local musician/artist who presents a vintage 60/70s style with make up, props, adornment etc. and used that to start on an illustration. She’s used a filter to turn the selfie into a multiple symmetrical image (don’t know what that’s called, there’s an app for that ofc.)

What is she trying to say? Is it about ego? Whats the process behind taking your face, and stylising it to fit your persona, and then duplicating it, and duplicating again endlessly on Instagram. If only we could ask her by literally DMing her. But let’s not bother, and just take her face and create our own narrative

(Note: obviously I messaged her for permission to use her image for the basis of an illustration – I’m not a monster)

It reminds me of the art nouveau intricate plant based patterns, but with a 70s pastel colour scheme – baby pink a garish green. Nice.

I’ve been sampling colour pallets from pop-imagery. Old comics, advertising, and propaganda.

If you can call propaganda pop-imagery. I do, it’s very popular.

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The final image combined a lot of elements; – nouveau style and gold-like details, vintage colour and aged, imperfect textures, a collage cut out face, and a bold modern aspirational composition- and by that I mean she’s meeting gazes with a side eye that suggests you wish YOU had a head of snakes.

The images aren’t exactly identical, and the colours don’t exactly match the lines. I made a slight clunkiness to the cut-out colour features (especially between the face and turtleneck) and details here and there to suggest mass reproduction (but printed, the original Instagram)

Don’t you love my luxurious gold snakes? Do you want some snakes?