Mateah Brown- Museum Visit to Hope College

Minotaur as Calf (Michael Ayrton)

Minotaur Alone  (Michael Ayrton)

The Minotaur

History: Michael Ayrton created these two etchings in 1971. Together they tell a story; however, this paper will specifically focus on Minotaur Alone.  Ayrton loved history and literature; therefore, this piece reflects his use of these subjects to convey his perspective. Minotaur was a mythical creature that was half-bull and also half-human. Typically, the Minotaur was seen as a monster which fed on humans as it was imprisoned in a labyrinth by King Minos of Crete, until he was slayed by Theseus. However, “Ayrton’s empathetic images delve into the confusion, pain, and sadness of a creature that, through no fault of its own, is condemned to live between two worlds” (plaque beside the etchings).

Detail: Minotaur Alone is a black and white etching of a combination of the Minotaur- half-man and half-bull. This creature seems to be confined in a space and therefore curled up in his anguish. His head is of a bull with horns, hair, and a bullnose. The bull head continues into the neck area of the creature which also resembles a bull; however, the muscular shoulders of a bull begin to give way to human characteristics. The creature’s one arm is used to prop himself up on his side: the other laying on his head between his horns. His hands have five fingers but are bony and boxy and seem to have more of the supporting structure of a bull. In this etching the Minotaur is laying on his side; supposedly crammed into a small area, his abdomen cannot be seen. There is no covering on this creature. He is naked and exposed. His “manhood” (or bullhood) rests prostrate on his bent leg. These legs have very human characteristics- muscles, structure, knees, angles, feet- but they are abnormally large and once again portray the robust nature of a bull.

Composition: The character of these lines gives the image depth, expression, and weight. The lines are darker and thicker when portraying the characteristics of the bull; in contrast, they are thinner and more detailed when composing the human characteristics. The use of line and shape convey the concept that this creature is in a small area because of the cramped condition of his pose and the lines defining the corners of the area. Value is used in order to depict muscle tone and depth. The lack of color emphasizes the mythological “ancient” qualities of the etching. Variety is emphasized through the combination of two beings; however, harmony is also emphasized through the combined unity of the creature in the piece of proportionality. This piece is full of texture created by the process of etching

Interpretation: Laying naked and exposed, the Minotaur is vulnerable- no longer seen as a monster but as a creature trapped between two worlds. The inner turmoil is displayed through the Minotaur’s position- crouched, boxed-in, in a fetal position with his arm grasping for his head. The half-bull, half-man combination is exaggerated through the detail of the black etching. As an artist etches away at the blank canvas, so does the paradox of the reality of this mystical creature portray the deep embedded pull between two worlds. The emotions of pain, confusion, turmoil, and anguish are developed through the image by the composition of the etching.  

Judgment: At first glance this piece is strange. It is a combination of both imagination and reality depicted through the techniques and composition of the forms to portray the depth of the image. However, after further examination the interpretation comes to life. Suddenly this piece carries the weight of not just mythology but the struggle trapped between two worlds.

My Photo:

I took these images from the inspiration of Ayrton’s piece. I tried to capture the reality that we as women live with today. We are trapped between who we are and who the world wants us to be. The standards of “beauty” have boxed us in. The mystical illusion of perfection is what we strive for while ignoring the world of natural beauty in which we live and possess. We are trapped through pressure we did not seek to “fix” our appearance as if something from the old world needs “fixing.”

The theme and interpretation behind this image share some of the same principles. However, the composition itself is drastically different: photo vs. etching, reality vs. imagination, color vs. black and white, human vs. animal. Whereas Ayrton’s piece is an integration of the two worlds, my photo has distinct differences between the “worlds.”