DEITIES, HEROES, VILLAINS, AND SAINTS
People have long had a propensity to imagine, create, fear, admire, worship or condemn larger-than-life entities: whether they take the form of other humans, animals, spirits, or magical hybrids.
These creations most often embody exaggerated versions of human qualities -admirable or reprehensible - and may inspire communal unity or war; great acts of courage or crippling fear.
I am intrigued by our fascination with these personae, who can serve as cautionary tales, as often as positive role models.
In this series, I am investigating our tendency to project ourselves onto them.
Kathryn Dunlevie
A sufi mystic, The Green One archival pigment print on panel (from a handmade collage) 22" x 20.5" 2015
Roman goddess of protection, often accompanied by snakes archival pigment print on panel (from a handmade collage) 37" x 45" 2013
Wife of Orpheus, who tried and failed to rescue her from Hades archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33" (study: 21" x 14.75") 2024
A Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted, possibly wrongly, of being a spy for Germany during WWI archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 26" x 27" 2013
The tragic heroine of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 44.5" x 29.25" 2014
Patron saint of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 39" x 53" 2015
The naiad Salmacis prayed that she and her lover would become one archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33" (study: 21" x 14.75") 2022
The blind prophet Apollo in Thebes who spent seven years as a woman archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33" (study: 21" x 14.75") 2024
Greek goddess of strife discord, and war archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) (study: 21" x 27.75") 2025
Self-decapitated Hindu goddess of contradictions archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 35.5" x 22" 2025
The Oracle of Delphi, high priestess of the Temple of Apollo, who delivered prophesies while in a trance archival pigment print on wood panel 47" x 33" (study: 21" x 14.75") 2025
Spartan Queen seduced by Zeus, who had taken the form of a swan archival pigment print 2025
A naiad who was pursued by Apollo against her will and was, for her safety, transformed into a laurel tree by her River God father. archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) 2019
The Carites: Euphrosyne, Aglaia, and Thalia, in whom beauty was deified in ancient Greece collage on vintage album cover 12.5" x 12.5" 2018
Mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor from the ancient city of Syracuse archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) 2025
Wife of Hades and goddess of the harvest archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33" (study: 21" x 14.75") 2024
The son of Venus and Mars, Cupid, the god of love and desire collage on vintage album cover 12.5" x 12.5" 2018
Perhaps the most glamorous of all the girlfriends of the Time Lord Dr. Who archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 50.75" x 33" 2015
Ancient Canaanite Mother Goddess who walked on water archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33" (study: 21" x 14.75") 2021
Akan goddess of fertility, love, procreation, peace, and truth archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33" (study: 21" x 14.75") 2022
Founder of a Kabul Sufi dance troupe who was eventually forced to leave Afghanistan (hand-made collage) on wood panel 12" x 12" 2023
The victimized young woman who escaped her family with the help of her Fairy Godmother archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 39" x 47.5" 2015
The first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus, who released all the evils of humanity. archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 27" x 27" 2021
Roman goddess of the dawn archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33" (study: 21" x 14.75") 2021