Exploring legend, myth, symbology and storytelling, Origins is a series expressing some key concepts that have influenced society across time. Depicting legends that have these potential Euhemeristic origins, myth and symbols which have acted as metaphor through history, the artworks look to combine these ideas from cultures across the world with the human form to revisit our connection to these often ancient stories.
World Bearers
Concept Design and Artwork: Emma Fay
Model: James Kerr
Photographer: Emma Fay
The mytheme of a giant turtle or tortoise supporting or containing the world occurs in Hindu mythology, in Chinese mythology and in Native American mythology. Classical Sanskrit literature has references to “World-Elephants” as mythical animals supporting the world in Hindu cosmology. Mythological world-bearers such as the World Turtle (Kurmaraja) and World Serpent (Nagaraja or Shesha) may have led to the world-elephant, with the Sanskrit noun Nāga having the dual meaning of “serpent” and “elephant” (named for its serpent-like trunk,) various Hindu myths speak of the world being carried or enclosed by either a tortoise, a serpent or an elephant.
Axis Mundi
Concept Design and Artwork: Emma Fay
Model: Alice Buck
Photographer: Jonathan Macauley
The Axis Mundi, World Tree; the centre of everything, a point of connection
“Look, here is a tree in the garden and every summer it produces apples, and we call it an apple tree because the tree “apples.” That’s what it does. Alright, now here is a solar system inside a galaxy, and one of the peculiarities of this solar system is that at least on the planet earth, the thing peoples! In just the same way that an apple tree apples!”~ Alan Watts
Dream Time
Concept Design and Artwork: Emma Fay
Model: Helen Claire
Photographer: Jonathan Macauley
“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci
The Minotaur, distorted stories
Concept Design and Artwork: Emma Fay
Model: James Kerr
Photographer: Jonathan Macauley
Dragon
Concept Design and Artwork: Emma Fay
Model: Josh Ward, Stefan Grundy
Photographer: Jonathan Macauley
Persona
Concept Design and Artwork: Emma Fay
Model: Charlotte Parker, Philip Kingsley-Elton
Photographer: Jonathan Macauley
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women, merely players: They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts”
~ William Shakespeare