I seem to be kind of obsessed with the image of a woman’s face on a bird body or a harpy. But Mythologically speaking or in modern slag the Harpy’s reputation is not a pretty one.
HARPY
–noun, plural -pies.
1.
Classical Mythology . a ravenous, filthy monster having a woman's head and a bird's body.
2.
( lowercase 
) a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman;shrew.
3.
( lowercase ) a greedy, predatory person.
In earlier Greek mythology, Harpies were described as beautiful, winged maidens. So what happened? I have some feminist theories about what happen, but alas this blog is actually about art. I have been making lots of Harpies lately and it has been an image that has been in my sketch books for years.
Mixed Media painting done a few years ago
Assemblage Harpy made with a porcelain doll head
on a fake crow body made this spring for Artfest
Class sample from Happy Harpies at Artfest 2011
made of a vintage compostite doll head with eyes
that blink on a tacky Christmas bird decoration.
My circus Harpy painting
Collage and Acrylics on Canvas 2009
A bit scarier Harpy made of a composite Virgin Mary head with wings made out of gut stretched over wire
Geisha Harpy made this spring from a doll head I had in my childhood available on ETSY
2 comments:
I am going with the early Greek mythology definition. I think I know what happened to the later definitions, but as you said--but that's another story. My favorite is the Japanese geisha harpy!!
i love your harpies! i have two and my momma has one!
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