Artist statement: This work references several literary and artistic sources of the ancient Greek mythological figure Narcissus, from The metamorphoses by Ovid (8 AD) to the 1597–99 canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – Narcissus is the young man who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water.
Narcissus (2019) carries this ancient reference forward into contemporary times, reflecting on global selfie culture fuelled through social media such as Instagram, Facebook etc., where there are saturations of images of the self. The cast of 40 Narcissuses occupy a single platform in various acts, such as self-worship, ritual, joy, love, lust, disregard, all capable of deriving strength and unity from our shared humanity.
Also known as Giclee prints or bubble-jet prints, pigment ink-jet prints are generated by computer printers from digital or scanned files using dye-based or pigment-based inks. A series of nozzles spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper surface in a precise pattern that corresponds to the digital image file. In dye-based prints the ink soaks into the paper, whereas in pigment-based prints the ink rests and dries on top of the paper surface.
Whilst the term is broad, pigment ink-jet prints have come to be associated with prints produced on fine art papers. They are the most versatile and archival method of printing available to photographers today. A wide variety of material on which an image can be printed with such inks are available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolour paper, cotton canvas or pre-coated canvas.
