Visual Analysis of the Myth of Psyche and Eros through Hegel's Dialectic

In 2022, I attended an Artist-in-residence at the Ionian Center for Art and Culture in Greece. Within the month, I created 12 paintings. As I was painting/translating the myth of Psyche and Eros into visual language, I realised it was not what I had initially thought – an essential and trustful archetype. The myth was profoundly amiss, so I named the project ‘Broken Firmament – Psyche and Eros ‘. In October 2023, I added 12 new paintings. I found myself amid a personal drama and remembered my mother’s story — her silent rebellion against a woman’s social position. Her struggles, like those of many women of her generation, trapped in a liminal space between tradition and emancipation, deeply resonated with me. In the end, she passed away prematurely, worn out by the demands of both worlds. The project took on a much broader significance than I had initially envisioned. I delved into the history and the current state of the social position of women. Despite the illusion of progress, the reality remains unchanged. In the confines of the family, everything is still the same for most women. Upon seeing the paintings, many of them tell me their own stories. And there are no nice ones.

I have create the following in last two years:
â–  3 SERIES; 108 paintings/portraits
â–  I still have to do 3 books, one for every series, that explain the process and background; every book will have cca. 93 pages.

Story

THESIS ANTITHESIS SYNTHESIS

What does it even mean to be a woman? What is our function, our purpose? Why is this world the way it is, and why can’t I be who I am? In the era of feminism and transhumanism, when a person is just a number, the identity of a woman is masked in seemingly attractive roles — a beautiful wife, a loving and caring mother, a passionate lover, an always understanding wife, a top business woman — beautiful at all times, physically fit and mentally stable, perhaps still spiritually enlightened, free, bipolar — and after all this, I wonder what it means to be a woman and whether we can afford to show that we are imperfect.

The ancient Greek myth of Psyche and Eros is one of the few archetypal European myths that places women in the position of a hero*. Initially, I perceived it as a kind of manual on finding love, beauty and the state of Hedonia or Joy. As I delved into it, I discovered more and more anomalies and began to look for what is hidden behind the obvious. Here comes the Hegel’s dialectic. I do a THESIS, which is evident at first glance, then its opposite ANTITHESIS, and only after analysing and painting both do I create a SYNTHESIS of the two. All interpretations are based on my own experiences and observations of the lives of women around me.

The roots

How do I start

My love for visual language began at university in 1998. Later, I got a PhD in visual theory and started lecturing about visual language and painting at different European universities. In these years, I have developed my understanding of visual language through theory and practice. (2) The other crucial theoretical thing is Hegel’s DIALECTIC. To find answers, I am analysing the myth through Hegel’s dialectic; it’s clear and systematic, which aligns with the method of my painting. The first series of paintings is THESIS, which contains what is evident in the myth at first glance. Then follows its opposite, the ANTITHESIS, and only after analysing both do I create a SYNTHESIS of the two. All interpretations are based on my own experiences and observations of the lives of women around me. (3) Last but not least is a position of me as a women in contemporary world.
â–  Story: I took the ancient Greek/Orphic myth of Psyche and Eros. The love started when I wrote an article for Sensa magazine in 2017. Than I considered the myth as a source of female archetypes that can help the modern woman find meaning and stability.
â–  Symbols: Symbolism is a hidden science about the meaning of life, a way to a more complete understanding. Everything is hidden in the symbols.
â–  Quadrivilium:The foundation of the four fine arts in ancient Greece.

The path

personal research

The journey with the project took an unexpected turn at the very beginning. When I translated the myth into a visual language, I unearthed hidden depths, realising it was not what I had initially perceived. This profound realisation, coupled with my personal experiences, led me to a new direction. My mother’s story began to take centre stage—her silent rebellion against the social position of women. Like many women of her generation, she was trapped in a liminal space between tradition and emancipation — in the end, she passed away prematurely, worn out by the demands of both worlds. The project took on a much broader significance than I had initially envisioned. I delved into the history and current state of the social position of women and realized that despite the illusion of progress, the reality remains unchanged. It’s all just surface-level marketing. In the confines of the family, for most women, everything is still the same or worse.

To find answers, to free myself from this state, which has been passed from generation to generation, I chose to analyse the myth through Hegel’s dialectic for its clarity and systematic nature, which aligns with the complex system of my painting. The project, therefore, is a dual exploration: on the one hand, a quest for identity and, on the other, a deep dive into the principles of visual language. By challenging the traditional narrative of the myth and reinterpreting it through my paintings, I aim to shift the perception of both painters and women, offering a fresh perspective that encourages dialogue and introspection.

Example

SERIES 1

THESIS: The myth is preserved in the original version. Everything written is authentic. It is a woman’s inner path to becoming what she is—a wife and a mother. The traditional position of a woman as the inner cell of the home is that of a hard-working and dedicated wife and mother who suffers and gives up on her needs and dreams but believes in a better tomorrow if she only does “the right thing.”

ANTITHESIS: Myth is counterfeit, false. Changed by the influence of a patriarchal society: modified over the centuries to raise submissive wives. The realisation of this gives birth to an inner rebellion against false freedom.

SYNTHESIS: Both are false. The woman have to questioning what she wants, but since she has little support and knowledge, all actions are meaningless. A sense of helplessness is born as society does not offer a solution. It’s all just a pointless struggle with windmills.

SERIES 2—According to Hegel, after the SYNTHESIS, a new circle and a new THESIS begin.

THESIS 2: Myth is a sourcebook; it just needs to be understood correctly. The problem, however, is that instead of progress, people usually come up with new meaningless rules, which, although they come from SYNTHESIS, are — because they are generalised — out of context. Many women, therefore, turn to neo-spiritualism for answers. A “spiritually enlightened” free woman thus searches for a twin star and ultimatemate/love.

And so on… if you would like to know more LINK

past exhibitions, publications, awards

Solo exhibitions

2024
â–  “Visual Analysis of the Myth of Psyche and Eros through Hegel’s Dialectic“, gallery Kocka, Novo mesto

2023
â–  “Broken Firmament – The story about Psyche and Eros“, Gallery Centre Rinka, SolcÌŒava

2022
â–  “Broken Firmament – The story about Psyche and Eros“, Timeless Light, Ionian Centre for Art and Science, Metaxata, Kefalonia, Greece

Group exhibition

2024
â–  Biennale od Independent Illustration; Mala galerija Cankarjevega doma; Ljubljana

Artist-in residence

2023
■  Ionian Centre for Art and Science, Metaxata, Kefalonia, Greece

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