Dorit Saphir
Mythological Animals and Figures
The primordial conflict, the yearning for glory and the ambition to attain eternal life have created “heroes” who exist in a delicate, unclear reality, saturated with suffering and occasionally tragic. Hybrid images appear in the works – human figures with animalistic motifs and animals with human characteristics. All of these are engaged in eternal movement and conflict – over the correct order or the desire to overcome it. Among the figures are heroes and mythological figures – childhood idols such as Hercules, Artemis and Achilles.
Some of the mythical figures as they are perceived by the artist are grotesque and inspire compassion, a type of anti-heroes. They are not one-dimensional; they are complex, but this complexity is not made apparent at first glance. A more profound look at them exposes a splendor of human sensitivities and qualities that is imbedded within them.