Reclining minotaur, 2011 Drawing

This piece is taken from a series of sketches entitled 'An Andalucian minotaur', made whilst in observance of the festivals and feiras of Andalucia, Spain. The simple form references the primitive, natural deitification, temporal reverence, and forgotten idolatries. At the same time, the pose is a tribute to iconic reclining figures of 'enlightened' classical art, a symbol of man's effort to distance himself from nature. The semi-engagement of the subject-matter and apparent grandiosity of form serve to create distance from the observer, while the tranquillity and peaceful arrogance betray the fact that this image depicts a spent protagonist being dragged through the sand, from the arena, after having been sacrificed during a 'corrida' (bullfight).