Unbound Visual Arts is presenting EPIC at the Harvard Allston Education Portal. It is curated by Sasha Goldman and features original artwork by seven contemporary artists: Nancer Ballard, Monrud Becker, Sue-Yee Leung, Tsun ming Chmielinski, Gary Duehr, Eric Mauro and Ruth Segaloff . The opening reception is November 13th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm and runs through December 23, 2014. The exhibition is inspired by the ancient Greek epic poems, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, which served as source material for some of the earliest themes in artwork.
The exhibition was planned to coincide with “The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours,” a free online educational HarvardX course, also known as “HeroesX”. The course, directed by Harvard Professor Gregory Nagy, explores the unique meaning of “hero” in ancient Greece and how it enriches our understanding of what it means to be human today. Professor Nagy will give a public lecture on heroes and tragedy at the Harvard Allston Education Portal, 175 N. Harvard St., on Monday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. In addition, the Ed Portal is hosting in-person discussion groups on the topic in November and December. More information is available here: http://edportal.harvard.edu/harvardx-allston-heroesx
Harvard University’s Harvard Allston Education Portal is located at 175 North Harvard St., Allston. It is served by MBTA buses: #66, 70, 70A, 86 at Western Ave/North Harvard St. and has free parking in the rear. It is a 15 minute walk from Harvard Square. There is also a Hubway station on-site. It is open Monday – Thursday 3:00 – 7:00 pm. It is handicapped accessible and has free wi-fi.
Curator Statement:
EPIC surveys the engagement of contemporary artists with themes of the heroic and mythological. Bringing together local and regional artists who work across varying media, the exhibition depicts the epic narratives of heroism through the imagery of strength – both physical and cerebral. The artists included in EPIC share an interest in ancient forms and traditions and collectively seek to engage with the timeless theme of the hero through their contemporary practices.
The epic poems of the ancient Greek author Homer serve as a point of departure for our conception of the hero. But since Homer wrote those historic words, the role of the hero has evolved and changed so greatly that our modern image of heroism encompasses a vast expanse of figures. EPIC is an examination of these variations on the historic and a sampling of contemporary narratives
Sasha Goldman, the Guest Curator, is a PhD candidate in Art History at Boston University and received her M.A. in Art History from Temple University and her B.A. in Art History from Connecticut College.