The Hooded Archetype Collage

Acrylic, ink and collage on resin coated wood. High gloss finish. This piece was inspired by Julia Margaret Cameron, one of the earliest pioneers of photography. Her portraits have an emotive authenticity that I find captivating. I couldn't resist using 'Mother Mary' and blending the archetype with Red Riding Hood. Two wildly different concepts of female innocence combined via a hooded garment. The use of a hood in describing archetypal characters is one of the most enduring and mercurial in mythology. Hoods are enigmatic, curious, wise or secretive. They are as various in colour and texture as the stories they feature within. Is it simply a practical protective garment, or one that implies otherworldly qualities? The colour is key. White is the pure form - the unsullied flavour. Red is the colour of sexuality. I wanted something of a contradiction to surround the figure in the woodland. As if she were integral not just to her landscape, but to a much broader story of female representation. Julia Cameron is just such a figure. A brave and vivid photographer who created her own genre by breathing new life into familiar realms. She gave mesmeric depth to her subjects. This is my way of continuing her journey into new allegorical territory, while I hoped also to honour the classical quality of her work. I can only hope that she would have liked this piece, and that she would see it as a modern homage to her extraordinary brilliance. I cannot but wonder what she would be producing if she lived now. Not that it matters, her work is timeless anyway.