Mnemosyne's Favorite Daughters

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Mnemosyne was goddess of memory and the inventress of words. She was, more importantly to this piece, the mother of the nine muses. In some branches of mythological doctrine there are only three daughters/muses. So, we have the conflict inherent in the mythos.

In this digital representation you cannot see so clearly but each of the "daughters" who faces Mnemosyne (who is in red) is actually a body and two shadows or ghosts, effectively making a concession to the mythical evolution. The green daughter's ghosts are meant to be more visible - but in fact the violet and the blue daughter are both ghosted as well.

Mnemosyne herself is reproduced infinitely, the red gradually fading to black. (this is lost in this version, to some degree. The actual piece is quite large.) She is, after all, memory. Infinite in scope and power.

Her daughters are in awe. One buffering the next, until the third daughter is protected most, most upright, least "awed".

Meditation, Memory and Song. Meditation is the most affected, adversely, by conflict. She attempts to absorb the force of their mother and is bent by the effort. She is the intellect, of course. Next is memory, affected less and protected by her sisters, she is the reticent one. Least willing to assert herself. She is most like her mother in posture and color - ironically, the most fragile of the three. And then there is song. A little defiant. Protected. Bright. The least like her mother, the least introspective, the most daring, the most ... irreverent.

The mind protects the memory which writes the songs we sing (as people) and the paradox is that another sort of memory controls it all. Memory is both the container and the contained - the poet and the poetry. The mother and the daughter. Incomplete until it is both a thing and a deed.

Moral? You cannot be separate from your past, your memory and it will always repeat itself , in good and bad ways, unless the mind and the voice are there to buffer it. In the end it is the poem, the song, the story - the voice - that is every bit as big and powerful as the thing that made it. That green daughter could take on the mother ... and only she.

And if you read body language, she's going to do it someday :)

Each of the daughters is on tiptoe - but the first two are on tip toes ready to bolt or crouch lower. The last daughter is on tiptoes so she can see, be ready to move forward offensively.

There's more - the choice of colors is significant (the three primary colors used judiciously - but you'd need a color chart to break that apart - lol)

Comments

	ccarriconde says: amazing! Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )
	Oop says: miraculous!!! may your day be a good one! Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )
	Catherine Jamieson says: Thanks so much - I've been planning this one for some time - took most of the photographs to complete it a month ago. It's actually the companion piece to a poem/story called "The Muses Are Loose". Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )
	Nannydaddy says: speechless!! I would like to read about your thought process in this picture as well as technical info. absolutely stunning work. Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )
	artofgold says: Wow, amazing!! Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )
	Catherine Jamieson says: I've been thinking about this one - specifically as to NannyDaddy's queries. I think I can describe what I do when I take a photograph, and could tell you about the technical specifications for the three photographs I used in this composite but explaining a piece of art is hard for me. Still, I wouldn't mind trying. Mnemosyne was goddess of memory and the inventress of words. She was, more importantly to this piece, the mother of the nine muses. In some branches of mythological doctrine there are only three daughters/muses. So, we have the conflict inherent in the mythos. In this digital representation you cannot see so clearly but each of the "daughters" who faces Mnemosyne (who is in red) is actually a body and two shadows or ghosts, effectively making a concession to the mythical evolution. The green daughter's ghosts are meant to be more visible - but in fact the violet and the blue daughter are both ghosted as well. Mnemosyne herself is reproduced infinitely, the red gradually fading to black. (this is lost in this version, to some degree. The actual piece is quite large.) She is, after all, memory. Infinite in scope and power. Her daughters are in awe. One buffering the next, until the third daughter is protected most, most upright, least "awed". Meditation, Memory and Song. Meditation is the most affected, adversely, by conflict. She attempts to absorb the force of their mother and is bent by the effort. She is the intellect, of course. Next is memory, affected less and protected by her sisters, she is the reticent one. Least willing to assert herself. She is most like her mother in posture and color - ironically, the most fragile of the three. And then there is song. A little defiant. Protected. Bright. The least like her mother, the least introspective, the most daring, the most ... irreverent. The mind protects the memory which writes the songs we sing (as people) and the paradox is that another sort of memory controls it all. Memory is both the container and the contained - the poet and the poetry. The mother and the daughter. Incomplete until it is both a thing and a deed. Moral? You cannot be separate from your past, your memory and it will always repeat itself , in good and bad ways, unless the mind and the voice are there to buffer it. In the end it is the poem, the song, the story - the voice - that is every bit as big and powerful as the thing that made it. That green daughter could take on the mother ... and only she. And if you read body language, she's going to do it someday :) Each of the daughters is on tiptoe - but the first two are on tip toes ready to bolt or crouch lower. The last daughter is on tiptoes so she can see, be ready to move forward offensively. There's more - the choice of colors is significant (the three primary colors used judiciously - but you'd need a color chart to break that apart - lol) Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )
	Lynn Morag says: Love the wraith-like figures and colours Catherine, but it is even more interesting with the story behind it. Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )
	Kalgari says: That really is fantastic, I hope you don't mind my linking to your work on my site. All the best. Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )
	Ariel says: What Lynn Morag said. Thanks for the explanation. Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )
	imapix says: Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )
	M@rty's Photos says: i'm not sure if you succeeded in what you mented it to be? but its an amazing image! i like it badly! Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )
	beafdog says: This is quite excellent, it really breaks out of the paradigm of digital art. I very rarely see a composition that I enjoy so much. Do you have gallery representation? Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )
	rigel99 says: haunting in its beauty, delicate in its simplicity and yet the colors so vibrant scream you awake from the slumber of life. This piece, Catherine tells us something important about life, and we know it the minute we see it. your dialog about the background was thoroughly enjoyable. Brilliantly conceived and impeccable executed, this is truly a work of art. I welcome more of your work to my hungry eyes! Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )
	Bluesrose says: Masterpiece! Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )
	rcvernors says: Wow! Very unique and wonderful artwork. A fave. Please consider posting your photo-enhanced artwork to the Altered Universe Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

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Taken on March 9, 2005

28 people call this photo a favorite

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Mnemosyne's Favorite Daughters

Comments

ccarriconde says:

Oop says:

Catherine Jamieson says:

Nannydaddy says:

artofgold says:

Catherine Jamieson says:

Lynn Morag says:

Kalgari says:

*Ariel* says:

imapix says:

M@rty's Photos says:

beafdog says:

rigel99 says:

Bluesrose says:

rcvernors says:

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Ariel says: