“My work examines the connections between societal beliefs, fable and history and the way they shift and change over time. Myths become truths and facts become legend. In a time where technology, communication, and false information shape perceptions and realities on a global scale, how do we decipher truth from fiction, reality from myth? What impact do mythologies of the past have on roles and attitudes existing today?
The Greek legend Leda and the Swan is a tale of lust, power, violence and the implications of the individual on the path of the future. The origin story begins with Leda, Queen of Sparta,bathing in the River Furatos. The God Zeus becomes smitten when he sees her, and swoopdown upon her in the form of a swan. The coupling (consented or not) results in offspringhatched from giant eggs. Throughout history artists have used the motif of Leda and the Swan to titillate, entertain, educate, and serve as a warning. Leda has played a secondary role to that of her seducer/rapist Zeus, and to their children, who go on to shape the fate of humanity. Broken Walls is a contemporary retelling of this ancient greek legend.
Through metaphorical and experiential avenues I combine sculpted and found elements with video and sound to create an immersive tale the viewer steps into. My work draws on notions of femininity as a frame of reference, and on influences including pop culture, ecology, and archetypes of women within traditional tales and mythologies. Broken Walls presents a Leda of our time, agent of her own story, wrestling with the consequences of her surroundings, her sexuality, her actions. Her future is unwritten.”
– Tammy Salzl