CYNTHIA MORGAN BATMANIS | ARTIST

MIXED MEDIA

ICONIC WOMEN: PARALLELS AND DICHOTOMIES BETWEEN THE LIVES OF ANCIENT AND CONTEMPORARY WOMEN

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

My project, Iconic Women asks the viewer to examine the similarities and the differences between the lives of ancient and contemporary women.
The roles played by priestesses in Ancient Greek and Roman societies and the political peacemakers, protagonists and procreators found in Biblical narratives are important to women today. Among the women we know from scriptural narratives that bring the exhibition to life:

The impact these women had on their own peers still reverberates in today’s society.

The Inspiration for this project is rooted in my early childhood. Bedtime stories, as told by my mother were about the lives of women in ancient societies. Most notable was the compelling story of the Virgo Vestalesand the distinctions my mother made between the lives of the priestesses, her own life with societal restrictions and the life I would lead, a life that offered unqualified choices.

ABOUT THE INSTALLATION

The exhibition of my artwork focuses on the priestesses, the Virgo Vestales, (often referred to today as Vestal Virgins)which are referenced in both Ancient Roman and Greek and Biblical history. The second exhibition component is a series of 16 portraits of Iconic Women from historic scriptural narratives. The third component of the exhibition includes fifteen, 3-dimensional works inspired by the Virgo Vestales sculptures. The fourth component, the original works that inspired the featured work, are also included in the installation..

FEATURED ARTISTIC PROCESSES

Many processes are utilized in the making of the individual works featured in my installation. The unique 2 and 3 dimensional works are created using multiple photographic processes including, lithographic photocopy transfer, wet plate collodion, ambrotypes, and archival pigment prints.

Each of the, constructed multilayered fabric sculptures, the Virgo Vestales, are sewn using layers of fabrics, screen wires, Ecclesiastical brocade and silk cord. Forty-five unique images are printed on the fabrics using the photocopy transfer process. The second exhibition component is a series of 16 portraits of Iconic Women from Biblical history: 8 ambrotypes, on ruby red glass and 8 archival pigment prints including text that describes the lives of these women. The third component of the exhibition, fifteen, 3-dimensional wall pieces, works inspired by the Virgo Vestales sculptures, are executed using the lithographic photocopy transfer process. The original works that inspired the featured work, I created using diverse methodologies that include cyanotype and salt printing, drawings, collage and stone lithography

INSTALLATION DETAILS:

A complete list of the materials and sizes of the exhibition elements is available, as well as a printed materials describing the women whose lives are memorialized within this installation.

TO DISCUSS BRINGING THIS EXHIBITION TO YOUR COMMUNITY
OR TO ACQUIRE WORKS FEATURED IN THIS INSTALLATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Cynthia Morgan Batmanis: cynthia@cynthiambatmanis.com