THE WRESTLER
ON LOAN FROM THE COOPER FOUNDATION 2016
SOLD FOR 32,000 LD
ON LOAN FROM THE COOPER FOUNDATION 2016
SOLD FOR 32,000 LD
A FULL-LIPPED, CHEEK-CHISELLED MAN IN ANCIENT GREECE KNEW TWO THINGS - THAT HIS BEAUTY WAS A BLESSING (A GIFT OF THE GODS NO LESS) AND THAT HIS PERFECT EXTERIOR HID AN INNER PERFECTION. FOR THE GREEKS A BEAUTIFUL BODY WAS CONSIDERED DIRECT EVIDENCE OF A BEAUTIFUL MIND. THEY EVEN HAD A WORD FOR IT - KALOSKAGATHOS - WHICH MEANT BEING GORGEOUS TO LOOK AT, AND HENCE BEING A GOOD PERSON.
THE HORRIBLE TRUTH IS THAT PRETTY GREEK BOYS WOULD HAVE SWAGGERED AROUND CONVINCED THEY WERE TRIPLY BLESSED - BEAUTIFUL, BRAINY AND GOD-BELOVED. SO WHAT MADE THEM FIT? FOR YEARS, CLASSICAL GREEK SCULPTURE WAS BELIEVED TO BE A PERFECTIONIST FANTASY - AN IMPOSSIBLE IDEAL, BUT WE NOW THINK A NUMBER OF THE EXQUISITE STATUES FROM THE 5TH TO THE 3RD CENTURIES BC WERE IN FACT CAST FROM LIFE - A REAL PERSON WAS COVERED WITH PLASTER, AND THE MOULD CREATED WAS THEN USED TO MAKE THE SCULPTURE.
THE HORRIBLE TRUTH IS THAT PRETTY GREEK BOYS WOULD HAVE SWAGGERED AROUND CONVINCED THEY WERE TRIPLY BLESSED - BEAUTIFUL, BRAINY AND GOD-BELOVED. SO WHAT MADE THEM FIT? FOR YEARS, CLASSICAL GREEK SCULPTURE WAS BELIEVED TO BE A PERFECTIONIST FANTASY - AN IMPOSSIBLE IDEAL, BUT WE NOW THINK A NUMBER OF THE EXQUISITE STATUES FROM THE 5TH TO THE 3RD CENTURIES BC WERE IN FACT CAST FROM LIFE - A REAL PERSON WAS COVERED WITH PLASTER, AND THE MOULD CREATED WAS THEN USED TO MAKE THE SCULPTURE.
THOSE WITH LEISURE TIME COULD SPEND UP TO EIGHT HOURS A DAY IN THE GYM. AN AVERAGE ATHENIAN OR SPARTAN CITIZEN WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY RIPPED - THIN-WAISTED, SMALL-PENISED, OILED FROM HIS "GLISTENING LOVELOCKS" DOWN TO HIS IDEALLY SLIM TOES.
A RATHER DIFFERENT STORY THOUGH WHEN IT COMES TO THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES. HESIOD - AN 8TH/7TH CENTURY BC AUTHOR WHOSE WORKS WERE AS CLOSE AS THE GREEKS GOT TO A BIBLE - DESCRIBED THE FIRST CREATED WOMAN SIMPLY AS KALON KAKON - "THE BEAUTIFUL-EVIL THING". SHE WAS EVIL BECAUSE SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE SHE WAS EVIL. BEING A GOOD-LOOKING MAN WAS FUNDAMENTALLY GOOD NEWS. BEING A HANDSOME WOMAN, BY DEFINITION, SPELT TROUBLE.
AND IF THAT WASN'T BAD ENOUGH, BEAUTY WAS FREQUENTLY A COMPETITIVE SPORT. BEAUTY CONTESTS - KALLISTEIA - WERE A REGULAR FIXTURE IN THE TRAINING GROUNDS OF THE OLYMPICS AT ELIS AND ON THE ISLANDS OF TENEDOS AND LESBOS, WHERE WOMEN WERE JUDGED AS THEY WALKED TO AND FRO. TRIUMPHANT MEN HAD RIBBONS TIED AROUND WINNING FEATURES - A PARTICULARLY PULCHRITUDINOUS CALF-MUSCLE OR BICEP.
BEAUTY WAS A PSYCHO-PHYSICAL PARCEL THAT HAD AS MUCH TO DO WITH CHARACTER AND DIVINE FAVOUR AS CHEST SIZE.
BETTANY HUGHES, HISTORIAN
THE ADONIS PROCEDURE
THE EXPERIMENT ASKED- IS EVERY BODY BEAUTIFUL? ARTISTS RE CREATED FAMOUS GREEK SCULPTURE WHILST LIVE FEED CAMEMA DISSECTED AND SCRUTINISED EACH HUMAN. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ARTISTS RECITED GREEK CLASSIC VERSE. AFTER THE GALLERY VIEWING PERCIPIENTS WERE GIVEN LARGE WADS OF LEFTOTOVER'S CASH AND ASKED TO BID ON THE MACRO FILM VIGNETTES METAPHORICALLY ASKING OURSELVES, WHAT IS THE PRICE OF BEAUTY?
A RATHER DIFFERENT STORY THOUGH WHEN IT COMES TO THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES. HESIOD - AN 8TH/7TH CENTURY BC AUTHOR WHOSE WORKS WERE AS CLOSE AS THE GREEKS GOT TO A BIBLE - DESCRIBED THE FIRST CREATED WOMAN SIMPLY AS KALON KAKON - "THE BEAUTIFUL-EVIL THING". SHE WAS EVIL BECAUSE SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE SHE WAS EVIL. BEING A GOOD-LOOKING MAN WAS FUNDAMENTALLY GOOD NEWS. BEING A HANDSOME WOMAN, BY DEFINITION, SPELT TROUBLE.
AND IF THAT WASN'T BAD ENOUGH, BEAUTY WAS FREQUENTLY A COMPETITIVE SPORT. BEAUTY CONTESTS - KALLISTEIA - WERE A REGULAR FIXTURE IN THE TRAINING GROUNDS OF THE OLYMPICS AT ELIS AND ON THE ISLANDS OF TENEDOS AND LESBOS, WHERE WOMEN WERE JUDGED AS THEY WALKED TO AND FRO. TRIUMPHANT MEN HAD RIBBONS TIED AROUND WINNING FEATURES - A PARTICULARLY PULCHRITUDINOUS CALF-MUSCLE OR BICEP.
BEAUTY WAS A PSYCHO-PHYSICAL PARCEL THAT HAD AS MUCH TO DO WITH CHARACTER AND DIVINE FAVOUR AS CHEST SIZE.
BETTANY HUGHES, HISTORIAN
THE ADONIS PROCEDURE
THE EXPERIMENT ASKED- IS EVERY BODY BEAUTIFUL? ARTISTS RE CREATED FAMOUS GREEK SCULPTURE WHILST LIVE FEED CAMEMA DISSECTED AND SCRUTINISED EACH HUMAN. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ARTISTS RECITED GREEK CLASSIC VERSE. AFTER THE GALLERY VIEWING PERCIPIENTS WERE GIVEN LARGE WADS OF LEFTOTOVER'S CASH AND ASKED TO BID ON THE MACRO FILM VIGNETTES METAPHORICALLY ASKING OURSELVES, WHAT IS THE PRICE OF BEAUTY?
