Cassandra the Mystic Marvel (2022) Collages par Toby Leon

Drawing from the rich tapestry of Greek mythology, "Cassandra the Mystic Marvel" is a profound exploration of the human condition, the power of prophecy, and the struggle for recognition and respect.

In the realm of Greek mythology, Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, was blessed with the gift of prophecy by Apollo. But when she spurned his advances, he cursed her so that no one would believe her prophecies. This tragic tale of a misunderstood prophetess, whose warnings of impending doom were tragically ignored, serves as the foundation for the artwork.

The story behind the artwork presents an alternate reality where Cassandra is not only believed but sought after for her prophetic abilities. However, this Cassandra is haunted by the pain and rejection experienced by her parallel self in another dimension. Compelled to take revenge for the disbelief and disregard her parallel self faced, she imposes visions of the future on those who did not seek it out, deluding herself into thinking that this act of revenge is just and true.

The artwork challenges the historical silencing of Cassandra's prophetic voice and the dismissal of female wisdom in ancient societies. By reimagining Cassandra's story, the artwork serves as a metaphor for the women who have been cast aside, their talents and truths disregarded. In giving Cassandra her due, the artwork sheds light on the systemic oppression of the marginalised and the power of resilience. In giving her revenge, the uncomfortable nature of trauma responses are cooked in a crucible of smoke, mirrors, potions and prophecies...

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Series Statement

In this series, the stereotypes women have been labelled with through history have now become their greatest strength. Drawing inspiration from 1920s Gazette du Bon Ton fashion plates, I infuse archaic witch tropes into the enigmatic narratives of six Greek goddesses and nymphs: Thea, Cassandra, Echo, Rhea, Circe, and Aphrodite.

By intertwining reductive motifs with the first generation of "liberated" women from the Gazette du Bon Ton, I’m playing with the foundations of freedom and subjugation. The Gazette, available only to the wealthy, represented a form of liberation that was tantalisingly out of reach for most women. Yet, even the women who could afford the Gazette were vilified if they dared to express themselves too boldly. Hitting a glass ceiling of judgement, or even scorn, if they stepped outside the bounds of ladylike behaviour. An ironic cudgel seeing how boundless the strictures of ladylike behaviour have proven to be over the years. Endlessly adapted by men and women who fear independent spirits above all else.

The fashionable interplay between witchery, demonic possession, and female sexuality in this series is an invitation to reclaim all the sexist stereotypes… again, because they’re still hanging around — embedded in cultural artefacts and filigreed into social policing. Which is why the starting point for this series was transcendence. With each goddess and nymph transcending the boundaries of heroism and villainy, because deities can’t be hemmed in. While the implacable faces and artfully contorted bodies of the fashion plates continue to evoke the same tension between seeking agency and succumbing to the control of social norms. As well as the paradoxical nature of their newfound liberation as fashion plates. Tailored to perfection but still saddled with the expectation of conformity — albeit couture. And so their stories play into the cyclical nature of oppression women have endured beneath all those tired stereotypes of witch, virgin, mother, whore…

Thèmes connexes

WitchMagicOccultWoman