IKONS: The Greeks

In the works for 3 years, this project has taken on a life of its own. Catherine de Leon began the project focusing on Greek gods, demigods and heroes, the work being shown as part of this exhibition.  She is continuing this work to also include the Norse and Celt gods, as well as a video installation.

The exhibit is hosted by the art bar/gallery Cerna Vdova. In keeping with the theme of the show, the artist has chosen specific pieces of music as a soundtrack to the photos, and complementary Greek hors d’oeuvres will be served.

The opening is on October 11, beginning at 7pm. The series is on view from October 11th until November 10th.

The central thesis of IKONS: The Greeks is that ancient archetypes are alive and well in modern times and that the breath of the gods is carried by us all. The models come from such far-flung places as Chile, The Czech Republic, The United States, Ireland, Sweden and Greece. Each represents an ancient Greek God, Goddess or Hero captured ‘by surprise´ in an eternal performance of the myth while holding their sacred object.

‘IKONS´ is a conceptual art project. The Greeks series is a set of distressed photos mounted on wood, to echo the look and feel of Byzantine Icons. By bringing both the Pagan and Orthodox elements of the culture together and using blatantly post-modern, global models, I am striving to show the holistic nature of myth, legend, spirituality, and ultimately, man´s origin and purpose.

This work began three years ago and it will likely be a lifelong project. Although there are 12 major gods in the Olympian pantheon, there are numerous demigods and heroes that will be included in a larger show with a video installation. Once The Greeks series is completed, I will begin exploring the Norse gods and their myths and legends. I will capture them in much the same way as I have the Greeks, the central thesis remaining, but the execution will be reflective of the Scandinavian culture, past and present. It is also my intention to explore the Celts in the same way.

I would like to express my love and gratitude to the models in this series, some shown in this exhibit, and some waiting to debut in the larger show. Thanks to: Adam, Alex, Andrea, Delaney, Ellis, Jessica, Lara, Lily, Markus, Michelle, Nanda, Nush, and Sonya.

Thanks also to Dusan and Janusz at Dot or Not for the beautiful prints, to Kava U Modreho More for the delicacies, and to Ariadne Armstrong and Cerna Vdova for hosting the show.

Each will be reproduced no more than 5 times. Each Ikon will be finished, mounted and lettered by hand, then signed and numbered by the artist.

To place an order from the current exhibit, and to see future works in this series, please leave your details with the staff, or contact the artist at catdeleon59[at]hotmail.com.