Thetis by Clarity James Venus by Clarity James Doryphoros by Clarity James Bacchus by Clarity James
A picture of the images hanging in the Phoenix Gallery on the 4th of October, 2024.
My primary study is that of transgender and queer histories, manly contemporary. In my studies, it is quite evident that the ‘queerness’ of ancient cultures, particularly those of the ancient Greeks, is something that was later erased or omitted by later retellings by other societies and cultures. All six of the statues that I am mimicking in this series are from a more contemporary setting than the Greeks. (three are Roman in origin, the other three are from the 19th Century) Despite their attempts to mimic the aesthetics of ancient Greek society, they each posit elements from their own societies onto these pieces. (Doryphoros being the ‘male warrior figure’, etc.) I hope that, by recasting the models for these sculptures as transgender people, I can make evident the lack of impartiality in these retellings and reveal the truth that all adoptions of historical or ancient works and mythos are often investigations of the cultures and societies that choose to retell them, not impartial representations of the cultures that invented them. In short, there are no impartial histories, only those that view history through their own contemporary lens.
These works are available for purchase. Please contact me at clarity.v.james@gmail.com for any enquiries.