Classical Art: Greek Mythology 'Shrine of the Muses'

Classical is a word that has many meanings. The greeks believed that the highest aspirations of the spirit could be expressed in a perfection of human form based upon harmony and proportion; belief in humanity. In the fifth Century BC, the greeks believed that the purpose of art was to edify, to create perfect forms of men and gods, illustrate the noble themes that expressed the triumpth of greek civilisation over barbism.

The three muses that i have chosen to analyse is Melpomene= Tragedy, Calliope= poetry and Euterpe=music. Linking in with these muses, I will be looking in the Plymouth Museum, looking at the different spaces and seeing what the muse could involve in that space of the museum. So far, i have found musical instruments that are african and chinese. The tragic history of the bombings in the World Wars in plymouth when it got blitzed and the last one which is poetry; i'm still working on that one!

IDEA FOR EXHIBITION DISPLAY IN MUSEUM

As a group, we had so many ideas what we were going to display but the idea were never ending; we got frustrated on how to take it further. Last week, we sat down as a group and analyzed what we were going to do about our project. We came up with some really good ideas and decided what we were going to do. As there are 9 muses, as there's three people in the group, we picked 3 muses to choose from and write about them; something where we're all involved doing the project. We thought that we would create a caste of a face and a hand and stick it on a pillar, were planning to do all nine but that would take forever. In the hand, we would place a scroll in it that links to one of the muses so it could be about comedy, tragedy, love poetry etc, or the spaces in the museum that links in with the muses.

In the centre of the museum, there's a circle at the entrance; we were thinking to dress up the fashion students although we would have to fund them, dress them up as the muses that inspire the arts. In town, there are statues that suddenly move, we were planning to do something like that. once a person who wants to look around the museum for the day, there would be nine muses standing around in a circle with their power on them; could also be like an advertisement having information on the muse, the person would be briefed to show people around the space that is linked to the art aka tragedy for example. The muses will be dressed as greek goddesses with masquerade masks that will be homemade. I will be going to Thailand for christmas and will bring back materials such as clothing fabric, may be dye or patterned print and close it up with a clip.

DRESS DESIGNS IDEA

Here are some examples to explain about the designs:

1. This is a photograph of my sister showing that the sarong has been tied up around the neck with a clip, as its so cheap out there in thailand, i will bring back loads of these but colour wise will have to link to the muses. I can choose the colours i want to do for mine and then the rest you can tell me what colours you are going to do for yours.

2. this photograph was taken out in the field that would create a greek look, the sarong ends have been tied around the back and the material has been folded in over the clip.

3. In this photograph, i have combined two pieces of sarong on the top half and the bottom half showing abit of the body.



THE THREE MUSES: CALLIOPE, MELPOMENE, EUTERPE= POETRY, TRAGEDY AND MUSIC

The three muses that i have chosen to do is the Muse of Tragedy who is Melpomene, the Muse of Poetry who is Calliope and the muse of Music who is Euterpe.

1. Melpomene- Muse of Tragedy

- The Mousai were, in the very beginning, nymphs guarding sacred wells of inspiration. The names fluctuated as well as their number, from region to region. The Boetian worship of the Nine muses fixed in place their number. From nymphs, they became collectively the goddesses of music, song and dance. The name Melpomene literally translates to "Celebrate with song and dance". The Mousai were assigned specific artistc and literary spheres; in this guise she was portrayed holding a tragic mask and sometimes wearing a wreath of ivy and conthurnus boots.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGNS AND ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE MUSE OF TRAGEDY

Linking in with the film of 'Phantom of the Opera', i chose to create a masquerade theme combining an old background and my sister dressed up with a masquerade mask around her face. in the background, layered in with my sister; shows a fork going through the eyes of the mask. This suggests that it is a tragedy of death in a melancholy way.





Working on photoshop, i used myself to demonstrate the Muse of Tragedy, using lots of filters.

1. - the first one is me in a portrait position at the side in a sepia colour. and the second comes out in a dark portrait position. Here are the differences:

 2. The filters i have used for this is space filters, but darked to create a mask around my face, the colours are dark; this could also be the muse of

Astronomy as its got that space feature.

Also on photoshop, i created a design that shows ''lost love''. The portrait photo shows a woman expressing her lost love on a ship on the collar bone as it is showed there. The face has skull features, the dead roses in her hair parting represents death and tragedy. On photoshop, the materials i that i used was a layer of parchment paper, then using tools such as ink and watercolours combined in photoshop. This piece reminds me of Jane Austen 'Persuasion'. As its not a greek feature, it links in with the muse Melpomene with the dark and faded colours.

Muse features- In some of my photographs, i have created themes such as models posing themselves in water. The elegance and beauty that the photograph makes reminds me of the delicasy and detail of greek sculptures. This is a picture of my friend Charlotte posing herself in the water with her skirt delicately places in the water with her back face the camera. There is also a photograph that i am fond of is charlotte laid out in the water doing breast stroke. As its not sculptural or anything, it can link in with the muse of astronomy swimming through space.

 'Landscapes of Tragedy'

I have also taken photographs that are related to the muse of tragedy that shows things and of people who look abandoned, in despair, no home and generally look like it could be the setting where Melpomene could be. But, some of them may look beautiful in its tranquil background, although the things that are in result in tragedy.

1. This photograph shows an abandoned swing in the winter where it is snowing, shows a dark side as the shadows and tones are black and white. Although it is beautiful with its tree setting, the power of despair lies in within the photograph.

2. These are series of photographs of a girl looking abandoned, with a face of tragedy of being 'homeless'.

This photograph here shows a her back from the camera; which suggests that she doesn't want her face to be shown, the despair in the way she has placed her self on the skip. The black and white photograph shows it all, the despair, the agony of longing of wanting to be needed, the tragedy of being alone and forgotten about.

The photograph in the sepia format shows a girl with her face almost hidden; cuddling up to a teddy bear. This suggests that she is longing for support but the tragedy about it that no one cares. I have put it in a sepia  format because i wanted it to look old and knackered. The background shows it because of the old mouldy carboard and the foliage vining through the rubbish. The aperature in the clothing shows detail and edginess, the theme i was trying to portray was to link to the song by Evanescence 'hello'.

The lyrics are shown below:



Playground school bell rings again

Rain clouds come to play again
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Hello, I am your mind giving you someone to talk to
Hello

If I smile and don't believe
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream
Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken
Hello I am the lie living for you so you can hide
Don't cry

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping
Hello, I'm still here
All that's left of yesterday

In this photograph on the the left, shows a girl laying in a position as a boy would; she shows the edginess in her face features and her body. the converses, the hols in tights, the droopy shirt. The photograph looks cold, the structure of it doesn't look appealing.

CALLIOPE= THE MUSE OF POETRY

The oldest and most well known of the nine muses is Calliope. Her gift to the mortal world was the inspiration of Epic Poetry. The other eight muses were equal in responsibility even if they aren't as well known as thier sister, Calliope. Today, the influence of the Muses are still present. In astronomy thier names are used to label many new discoveries. The world ''museum'' orginated from the word ''muse'' because it is a place where art, history and astronomy is preserved. Calliope literally means ''beauty of voice''. The optical elements have a real importance in the frame of relation between speaker and audience. Calliope's voice implies the powers of poetic speech, it could suggest that she has qualities of rhythmic song, of metrical speech. Calliope's relationship is between persuasion and justice. Although Calliope is also a musical instrument, it is defined as keyboard instrument. It is similar to an organ, that creates whistling sounds via the working of steam and compressed air.

Calliope is seen holding a writing tablet in her hand, sometimes seen with a roll of paper or book and crowned in gold. A quote suggesting Calliope:

'' I am your own way of looking at things. When you allow me live with you, every glance at the world around you will be a sort of salvation''.

William Stafford- 'When I Met My Muse''

As she is the source of 'beauty in the voice', this suggests that she is the key of all sort of poetic writing. Something that is so beautiful and delicate makes up her poetic charms to create detail pieces that will be well known for centuries. The beauty of her face gave me the idea to create a masquerade face of flower that are beautiful such as roses. With a plain mask, i glued one side with white rose petals that shows simple, delicate and beautiful features and the red represents passion to Epic Poetry. Here are a few examples;

This shows half of the face, this has been done in white rose petals and herbal flowers to create texture and smell. The mask shows a hidden aspect of love and epic poetry.

 The second photograph shows the full version where the mask has been split into two with the white on one side and the red is on the other side.  

Above is the Muse of Epic Poetry and these are the two designs i have created to make reference to the muse.

A poem by Edmund Spenser that tells about 'The Teares of the Muses'  

Rehearse to me, ye sacred Sisters nine,
The golden brood of great Apolloes wit,
Those piteous plaints and sorowfull sad tine
Which late ye powred forth as ye did sit
Beside the silver springs of Helicone,                    
Making your musick of hart-breaking mone!

For since the time that Phoebus foolish sonne,
Ythundered, through loves avengefull wrath,
For traversing the charret of the Sunne
Beyond the compasse of his pointed path,                  
Of you, his mournfull sisters, was lamented,
Such mournfull tunes were never since invented.

Nor since that faire Calliope did lose
Her loved twinnes, the dearlings of her ioy,
Her Palici, whom her unkindly foes,                       
The Fatall Sisters, did for spight destroy,
Whom all the Muses did bewaile long space,
Was ever heard such wayling in this place.

For all their groves, which with the heavenly noyses
Of their sweete instruments were wont to sound,           
And th'hollow hills, from which their silver voyces
Were wont redoubled echoes to rebound,
Did now rebound with nought but rufull cries,
And yelling shrieks throwne up into the skies.

The trembling streames which wont in chanels cleare       
To romble gently downe with murmur soft,
And were by them right tunefull taught to beare
A bases part amongst their consorts oft;
Now forst to overflowe with brackish teares,
With troublous noyse did dull their daintie eares.        

The ioyous Nymphes and lightfoote Faeries
Which thether came to heare their musick sweet,
And to the measure of their melodies
Did learne to move their nimble-shifting feete,
Now hearing them so heavily lament,                       
Like heavily lamenting from them went.

And all that els was wont to worke delight
Through the divine infusion of their skill,
And all that els seemd faire and fresh in sight,
So made by nature for to serve their will,                
Was turned now to dismall heavinesse,
Was turned now to dreadfull uglinesse.

Ay me! what thing on earth, that all thing breeds,
Might be the cause of so impatient plight?
What furie, or what feend, with felon deeds               
Hath stirred up so mischievous despight?
Can griefe then enter into heavenly harts,
And pierce immortall breasts with mortall smarts?
Vouchsafe ye then, whom onely it concernes,
To me those secret causes to display;                     
For none but you, or who of you it learnes,
Can rightfully aread so dolefull lay.
Begin, thou eldest sister of the crew,
And let the rest in order thee ensew.

IDEA FOR CASTE
As a group, we decided to create a caste of a hand and a face, moulded out of mod rock and latex. I created one which i used my own hand, the others worked together in their practical. The initial idea what to put a scroll in each hand that identifies the nine muses, talking about their speciality in powers such as comedy, music, tragedy, poetry etc. I took pictures of what Beth and Paul were creating, unfortunately i took it on phone and it took forever to download, so they will hopefully be up soon.
Another idea that i thought, maybe instead of writing on a scroll and place it in the hand, i thought of writing on the hand, it could be a poem, quotes, lyrics etc, illustrations of what the muse represents.

EURTERPE: THE MUSE OF MUSIC
Euterpe was one of the nine muese, the goddess of music, song and dance. She means ''giver of much delight''. She was in possession of joy, pleasure and flute playing, her attribe was the double flute.

Here is a poem regarding the muse :

Euterpe glanced her fingers o'er her lute,
And lightly waked it to a cheerful strain,
Then laid it by, and took the mellow flute,
Whose softly flowing warble filled the plain:
It was a lay that roused the drooping soul,
And bade the tear of sorrow cease to flow;
From shady woods the Nymphs enchanted stole,
While laughing Cupids bent the silver bow,
Fluttering like fays that flit in Luna's softened glow.

- This is 'an ode to music' by Kenneth G. Persival
'All you have to do is listen' - August Rush.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hrDNGmAigU

'Listen, Can you hear it? The music... I can hear it everywhere,

in the wind, in the air, in the light, it's all around us.

All you have to do is open yourself up,

All you have to do is listen!'

HEAR. LISTEN. BELIEVE.

In the Christmas holidays, I will be travelling to Singapore and Thailand for 3 weeks and abit. For this music piece, i have going to convert a piece entirely out of things around me in the atmosphere instead of composing a piece with musical instruments. This could be the traffic, the wind, the sound of trees, people talking, things going on in the house, things falling on the ground, the waves, bubbles, splashing in the swimming pool, footsteps, anything that involves sound apart from musical instrument. I can record music that is coming out of the radio but when it involves me music. I will be using a software that can compose the music into a sheet of music which includes notes, tabrature etc.