Artist Statement:

Mythology and Bronze Age history have always been a large part of my life. From a young age, I have been obsessed with the stories of Greek Heroes and Gods. Eventually, I began learning on other mythologies worldwide and have gained a broad knowledge on the stories behind many cultures across the world. I love Greek vases and I really wanted to make a jacket designed on them.

The Jacket itself is black with orange accents. Top left pocket depicts Odysseus and the sirens, based on the siren stamnos at the British Museum. Top right pocket has a painting based on Minoan Octopus vases. Bottom left is a painting of Athena in a smiting pose. Bottom right pocket has a centaur fighting some soldiers. On the main section on the back of the jacket, depicts the death of King Peleus from Euripides’s The Bacchae. The figures are based on the ones depicted in The Death of Pentheus, Attic Red Figure Kylix found in the Kimbell Art Museum. The bottom half of the jacket is based on the geometric designs found on funerary vases. The top features designs commonly found on funerary vases. The top area is based on themes found in Minoan art, but no piece in particular.

Originally, the jacket was going to be just about the Bacchae the Orphism religion. The jacket was going to features strong themes of the underworld, with Hades and Persephone, Odysseus and the prophet Teiresias. However, these images were not as recognizable and I do not think the jacket would not have been as interesting.

Process:

This was my first time painting on fabric. I did some tests on a white cotton fabric that I thought was similar to this jacket and used a fabric medium to ensure that the piece would not deteriorate. As for the jacket itself, I got it from Goodwill. The jacket was previously beige and resembled an old Indiana Jones Costume. I painted the jacket black, not including the seams, collar, and pockets. Those were painted orange as a base layer. I painted the frontside first, then moved onto the back, with the exception of the areas that are now yellow. Those were painted last, as I did not decide which Minoan pieces to pick.

After painting, I sealed the work with heat and washed the jacket.