HYBRID IN-PERSON AND ONLINE PROGRAM

Contemporary Art & Classical Myth, Part I: Myth as Meaning & Myth as Medium

Jennie Hirsh, professor of modern and contemporary art at the Maryland Institute College of Art

Reception 1 - 1:30 pm

This lecture opens a two-part series on how classical mythology intersects with contemporary art. The talk will illustrate how myth has come to serve not only artists but also critics working in the last half-century. By exploring works by Cy Twombly, Luciano Fabro, Yayoi Kusama, Bracha Ettinger, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres, we will see how certain artists have appropriated and, at times, revised classical narratives. "Myth as Meaning" will investigate how these practitioners adapt these timeless stories to address perennial psychological dynamics by illustrating ancient tales in contemporary ways. Taking a less literal approach, "Myth as Medium" looks instead at how the mechanics and themes of certain myths resurface, unwittingly, in given works of art. To that end, we will examine works by Roy Lichtenstein, Tracey Emin, Ghada Amer, and Wim Delvoye to identify mythical practices that not only revive myth's relevance but also underscore what is at stake in assigning mythological meaning to artistic projects.

$15 fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)