Jaz Heber Percy
MA Fine Art
A new mythology, a chthonic, female, urban deity. I continue to explore issues concerning societal perceptions of the female figure, and want to generate a conversation about strength, respect, and sexuality. Interested in the evolution of women in the way in which they are depicted, what that means for us as a demographic and how we create new identities. The goddess figure is not a reflection of self, but a female creature who is grounded.
My interest in skateboarding led to the binding of this culture and mythology to realise an avant-garde deity. An urban, female icon that is modern yet possesses explicit Classical iconography. The basic shape for my prints is the skateboard, an important motif I have repeatedly used in my work. These track routes, they are mobile agents for urban disruption, rebellious graffiti symbols. The skateboard’s historical connotations of going against the grain and general social protest make it a strong physical symbol of the urban.
The skateboard is a contextual element, if viewers spot this, this makes the work all the richer as this was my starting point. Audiences may see bullets, sarcophagi, Greek vases, and Coke bottles. Yet they all possess a whisper/hint of the figure. Their upright nature gives an anatomically human quality to them. There is an intuitive sense of moving with the aesthetics and being guided by what I see and what I know about making. In the process, these strangely haunting, ambiguous forms emerge.
