Odysseus and Penelope 1973 - 1974

Editor: This is Dame Elisabeth Frink's "Odysseus and Penelope," a print from the Tate Collection. It depicts hanging figures above a lone man. The figures almost look like flayed hides. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a commentary on the labor involved in mythmaking itself. The artist's process of printmaking, the repetitive act of creation, echoes Penelope's weaving, doesn't it? And Odysseus, below, the consumer of this labor. Editor: That's a fascinating point! It shifts the focus from the heroic narrative to the material conditions of the story. Curator: Exactly! The starkness, the almost brutal depiction, challenges the romanticized view of the Odyssey, highlighting the costs of such legendary narratives. Editor: I never considered the "Odyssey" that way before. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It's always interesting to consider the making of art and stories as a form of work.