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Jules Olitski
Helios the Titan, 2006
In Greek mythology, Helios was imagined as a handsome god crowned with the shining aureole of the sun. He drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day to earth -- circling Oceanus and returning through the world-ocean to his palace in the east at night. Homer described Helios's chariot as drawn by solar steeds (Iliad XVI, 779). Later, Pindar described it as drawn by "Fire-darting steeds" (Olympian Ode 881). Still later, the horses were given fiery names: Pyrios, Aeos, Aethon, and Phlegon. As time passed, Helios was increasingly identified with Apollo, the god of light. The equivalent of Helios in Roman mythology was Sol Invictus.
There are three "Titans" and three "Cyclops." All six in the series were created from cement mixers. The artist recycled industrial materials and transformed them into sculpture. The prominent circular cutout motif on Helios responds to the changing passage of the sun as it marks the days, months, and seasons at GW. |