The Odyssey: A Retelling

House Slaves 84 x 44 x 3 in. Paper, hand and knee imprints, wash cloths, wax, ashes, matte medium, cleaning motions.

Nausicaa’s Laundry 33 x 15 x 24 in. Rounded wood panel, cardboard, tape, textured latex paint, hardware, assortment of folded fabrics, wax, yarn, spray paint.

Ogygia Filled With Wings 21 x 18 x 7 in. Pedal board, velcro, pages from a book about birds, plastic cave, tape, yarn, notecard, acrylic paint.

The Space Between Scylla and Charybdis 50 x 24 x 10 in. Canvas, matte medium, acrylic paint, yarn, dog hair, styrofoam and textured latex.

Beautiful, Dreadful 50 x 36 x 2 in. Spray paint, graphite, yarn, paste, hair, colored pencil, tape, wire mesh, paper.

Moly 18 x 8 x 6 in. Regrind, milk carton, soil, spray paint, wood, tape, marble contact paper.

Hades’ Pool 32 x 38 x 2 in. Acrylic paint, graphite, hair, and lint on canvas.

The Memory of Troy 26 x 38 x 2 in. Latex paint, paper pulp, spray paint, graphite on wooden panels.

Athena’s Potions 6 x 7 x 9 in. Paper pulp, test tubes, acrylic paint, matte medium, rose petals.

Telemachus’ Youth 8 x 12 x 12 in. Construction paper, glue, regrind, silicone, cotton ball, wax, trinket, dried fruit peel, broken ceramic, acrylic paint, foam, twig, plaster, lint, part of an ornament.

A Daily Routine 38 x 60 in. Watercolor, pages from a book about seals, graphite, acrylic paint on paper.

Blood-Bowl 10 x 12 x 10 in. Paper pulp, acrylic paint, regrind, dog hair, ashes.

Penelope’s Tears 2 x 4 x 5 in. Braided yarn, thread, years of contact lenses, crushed rose petals, tissue. 

Rosy-Fingered Dawn 34 x 46 in. Watercolor, wax, graphite, acrylic paint, colored pencil, and spray paint on paper.

Dishes 18 x 20 x 9 in. Paper pulp, dish rag, rose petals, wheat paste, shelf from under the sink, dirty utensils, tape, dish sponge, ashes, spray paint, plaster, matte medium.

Where the Earth Hides Him 87 x 72 x 3 in. Wood dowel, braided yarn, curtain with horse graphic, paper, wax, latex paint.

Helen’s Storeroom 67 x 36 x 9 in. Cardboard, marble contact paper, unfinished needlepoint (artist unknown), yarn, spray paint, paper, ink, tape, foam form. 

The Suitors’ Mouths 30 x 9 x 6 in. Cardboard, plastic, pages from a book about rams, silicone cup, oxidized coins, fabric with raw meat graphic, regrind, gold spray paint, glue, aluminum can.

Penelope’s Room 75 x 18 x 12 in. Cardboard, plastic bags, unfinished needlepoint (artist unknown), glue, watercolor paper, acrylic paint, tape, young tree trunk.

Odysseus’ Scar 8 x 3 x 2 in. Paper pulp, ashes, wheat paste, wax, cotton fabric.

Shapes of Athena 120 x 46 in. Watercolor, wax, graphite, acrylic paint, yarn, fabric, colored pencil, spray paint, ashes on paper.

Sacrifice for Athena 72 x 13 x 12 in. Regrind, wooden dowel, yarn, latex paint, stuffing.

In preparation for A Retelling Jones read Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey. Jones examines the conditions that make Odysseus’ journey possible. The body of work incorporates a wide range of media and techniques, which echoes the number of communities, locations, actions, and objects that paved the way for the classic homecoming. Jones notes the significance of the gallery’s location within Nashville’s Parthenon, which prompted the concept for A Retelling. The Parthenon in Athens, Greece, was a place for offering thanks to and soliciting help from Athena. The goddess is a constant in the poem; orchestrating events and guiding encounters. Hospitality is another source of support for Odysseus, yet much of the generosity extended by the host relies on the labor of enslaved people. There is tension between celebrating the admirable virtue depicted in the poem, and contending with the means in which the virtue was maintained. This body of work presents an opportunity to reflect upon our own complex histories, support structures, and those to whom we extend our support.