Keyword: myth
Copy of Mythological Scene
As Robert searches for ideas, he copies two images from art history that demonstrate how he was equally drawn to mythology and autobiography. The top image, Mythological Scene, by Renaissance artist Piero di Cosimo, is reset in Nova Scotia with a
St George, the Dragon and Cancer
On one page, Robert has drawn a careful copy of Raphael’s St. George and the Dragon. The knight, horse and landscape are drawn without shading, while the dragon and cave have been darkened with cross-hatching and areas of black to
Red Mitten
The activity of knitting adds a note of normality to the patient’s condition. Daily routines take on increased importance. The red knitted object placed near the woman’s heart suggests hers is a labour of love. Even as she undergoes treatment
Raven
Raven was created as a matching drawing for Robert’s Howling Wolf. What they have in common is the energy field that surrounds the animal. The bird’s energy field has the effect of ripples in the water or concentric rings, except that the
Underground Parking
Robert repeatedly used cars as an emblem of modern mythology. The figure with the keys may refer to Charon, ferryman to the underworld, or to Saint Peter, the gatekeeper to heaven. The machine with its lights gives it the power to overcome darkness, but
Aesculapius
A patient grapples with symbols of illness and healing, two forces that coexist in an endless contest. This struggle is physical, emotional and spiritual. In this life-sized drawing, Robert abandons realism for a more mythic approach. The snake, coiled around
Metamorphosis
Despite the starkly minimal approach, the image has a wealth of associations—from an Ophelia drowning in love to a dream state or awakening consciousness, as well as evoking ideas of baptism and rebirth. The water is both pleasurable and dangerous.