Melpomene

Melpomene is a part of the Hellens series, which consist of 5, large-scale (about 180cm x 120cm), full body, half-nude cycle. The theme-setting of the Hellenes is more like just a formal, self-limiting matter, but in this theme the vision of the models would push the drawing out of it’s secondary function raising it to the level of the main art genres.
Melpomene is the ancient Greek muse of tragedy and mourning song. On my mechanical pencil drawing I wanted to build in the sorrow and mournfulness with drawings of famous photos about some of the sadest moments from the world history. But I also wanted to keep the focus on the Muse’s figure to express the vivid human theme (the tragical and depressing part of this theme), to personalise these feelings.

My most conspicuous concept is the characteristics of realism. For me the realistic representation is the recognition of the reality and an improved, firmly advanced presentation of this recognized reality. As opposed to the naturist view of ’copying the reality’ I am not trying to be as realistic as possible but to get the audience to understand the reality through the picture and somehow manipulate the reality to my own perceptions a bit. In practice this representation mostly shows in the topics and the actuality of my work (for example drawings of timeless photos as seen on the Melpomene), also in the coolness and in the frontal exposure.