A Homeric Catalogue of Shapes
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A Homeric Catalogue of Shapes by Charlayn Von Solms
In the popular imagination, Homer as author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, epitomises poetic genius. So, when scholars proposed that the Homeric epics were not the unique creation of an individual author, but instead reflected a traditional compositional system developed by generations of singer-poets, swathes of assumptions about the poems and their 'author' were swept aside and called into question. Much had to be re-evaluated through a new lens. The creative process described by scholars for the Homeric epics shares many key attributes with the modern visual art-forms of collage and its less familiar variant: sculptural assemblage. A Homeric Catalogue of Shapes describes a series of twelve sculptures that together function as an abstract portrait of Homer: not a depiction of him as an individual, but as a compositional system. The technique by which the artworks were produced reflects the poetic method that scholars termed oral-formulaic. In both of these creative processes the artwork is constructed from pre-existing elements: such as phrases, characters, and plot-lines in the epics; and objects, fragmented items, and borrowed forms in the sculptures. The artist/author presents a largely unknown characterisation of Homeric poetics in a manner that emphasizes the extent and complexity of this Homer’s artistry.
The book is wide-ranging and thoroughly researched, and displays a strong grasp of the history of Homeric scholarship.. Solms has melded two disparate topics well, and interdisciplinary work like this certainly enriches the field. * The Classical Review *
This is a work which uses an original approach between essay and catalogue, and is fascinating in its transposition of Homeric art onto the language of contemporary sculpture. * Anabases *
This is a work which uses an original approach between essay and catalogue, and is fascinating in its transposition of Homeric art onto the language of contemporary sculpture. * Anabases *
Charlayn von Solms is a sculptor in Cape Town, South Africa. She has lectured at the Michaelis School of Fine Art of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the Department of Fine Art of the University of the Free State, South Africa, and the Department of Informatics and Design, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781350194571 |
| ISBN 10 | 1350194573 |
| Title | A Homeric Catalogue of Shapes |
| Author | Charlayn Von Solms |
| Series | Imagines – Classical Receptions In The Visual And Performing Arts |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
| Year published | 2021-05-20 |
| Number of pages | 240 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |