Artist’s Statement
Hylas & the Nymphs: Redux
This screenprint was inspired by the painting Hylas and the Nymphs, by John William Waterhouse. The characters of the original painting appear in the bottom left corner of the image. The painting depicts Hylas, a companion of Hercules (i.e. his lover), who has stopped to gather water, and stumbles on a group of water nymphs. He is enraptured by their beauty, and the nymphs tempt him into the water, never to be seen again. Waterhouse’s overtly sexual and patriarchal imagery in this painting continues to be the subject of public controversy; It was even temporarily removed from its place in the Manchester Art Gallery in 2018. The objectifying male gaze of this painting is undeniable—it is an unadulterated Victorian fantasy of feminine temptation—yet many viewers, including myself, continue to find it irresistible.
In expanding the world of this painting, I drew from depictions of romance and lust in Metropolitan Museum’s European art collection that have captured my imagination since my mother, a figurative realist painter, started taking me to the museum as a small child. I have integrated these figures with references from queer and trans porn to create a landscape of desire imbued with unapologetic, sensual subjectification.
Medium:
Screenprint
Year:
2023
Availability:
Available — $200 sale price. Email with inquiries.
Beaux Watwood 