LiVE MAGAZINE VOL 8, Issue #203 February 20th THRU March 6th, 2015

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FROM RAIN TO ARROWS –
FROM RAIN TO ARROWS –
THE ART OF MICHAEL PETRY
By Angela Romeo
Michael Petry was born in El Paso,
Texas, and lives in London.. He
received a BA at Rice University, an
MA at London Guildhall University,
and a PhD in Arts at Middlesex
University. He is the director of
MOCA London, and co-founder of
the Museum of Installation, London.
In 2012 Michael’s Touch of the Oracle was
exhibited at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
His Golden Rain installation is a part of the
Museum’s permanent collection. He returns
with the romantically chilling Libation to Eros.
Michael’s works are provocative and always
probative. Golden Rain is an installation of 100
gold-mirrored droplet-shaped glass vessels
that reference the Greek myth of Danae,
impregnated by the god Zeus in the form of
a golden rain shower. Joshua D’s Wall, a field
of 250 hand-blown glass stones, refers to the
Biblical story of Joshua and the crumbling walls
of Jericho. Michael’s Libation to Eros involves
the firing of 54 black arrows into cork wall while
declaiming the story of the god of love, Eros.
“I was recently invited to participate in the
Alentejo Trienal in Portugal. My venue was the
Palácio dos Duques de Cadaval. Doing research
for my project I looked at classical sculptures
that were missing arrows, shields or spears. I
created bronze arrows for Diana, goddess of the
hunt. My arrows inspired me to know more
about archery. I took an ‘intro’ class I knew
I needed do a performance work based on
archery. All that lead to Libation to Eros.”
Libations are a reoccurring theme for Michael.
“Once a libation is offered it may not be taken
back. All performances are, libations. They are
about the now, once done, that’s it, and it can’t
be taken back nor done over. A performance
is dangerous since no matter how much one
prepares, there is no guarantee of perfection.
Thus a performance is always a ‘libation’.”
“I am a contemporary artist but the classics,
the Greek and Roman myths, have never left
us. Even now, there are Hollywood movies that
cast modern tweeting kids as the children of
the gods. They bring those stories to a whole
new generation. They mix it up a bit and get
the stories ‘wrong’ but anything that might
lead kids to the originals is great. My work
brings the myths to present. The richness of
our past cannot be denied.”
But the power of Libation to Eros is more than
the myth of Eros or Cupid. It is a reminder of
how close is the line of love and pain. “Many
people are unaware of the power of the bow
and arrow,” said Michael. “Like the power of
the arrow, modern society often forgets that
love, then as now, is a life changing event.”
That we have not travelled far from the mortals
of these classic tales is a humbling notion.
Photo by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
Photo by Steve Tanguy
Photo by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
Photo by Steve Tanguy
Angela Romeo is the producer /host of COLLIDING WORLDS TV and COLLIDING WORLDS RADIO.
For more information visit: www.collidingworldstvandart.com
Colliding Worlds TV is available on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/user/AngelaValenteRomeo
or at Colliding Worlds Vimeo:
www.vimeo.com/collidingworldstv
Colliding Worlds TV broadcasts on KPSE (MY 13 Palm Springs California) Saturdays at noon and
Thursdays at 6:30 am
Colliding Worlds Radio, broadcasts and live streams weekly,
Saturday from 11 am to 12 pm on KPSF 1200 AM (Money Radio 1200)
Colliding Worlds is now on KMIR (Palm Springs)Saturday at 5 am and on KPSE Thursday (Palm
Springs) at 6:30 am
CW Radio podcasts are available at
www.collidingworldstvandart.com
Photo by Steve Tanguy