Hermes and Aphrodite
May 2016
Scultping, Autocad, Illustrator
A luminaire created from gesso (drywall), water, and gauze. Taking the mold from a Italian man's body by laying gauze along the side of his torso and adhering it in layers with the gesso and water mixture. Then repeated on an Italian woman's torso. The two halves make an androgynous whole as light leaks and seeps through the cracks and imperfections of the two bodies. Inspired by the story of Hermaphroditus where, in love, a woman asked the gods to merge her with the handsome man, Ovid. In answer, a god merged their two forms into one and transformed them into an androgynous form known as Hermaphroditus; a name compounded of his parents’ names, Hermes and Aphrodite. This luminaire brings realization to the two parts of man and woman and their differences, yet similarities and how together, they bring an harmonious light to the world.
