Muse
Click here to see close ups of the Muse
TITLE OF PIECE: Face of the Muse
EDITION: One of a kind
ARTIST: Jeanne K. J. Weiland
Sarah J. Weiland
DIMENSIONS: Muse 19 inches in height
Base 8 x 9 inches
MATERIALS: Mixed media. Face, arms and legs are polymer clay. The body is leather stuffed with mohair, and has a wire armature for posing. Both masks are silk-covered and jewelled. The skirt and blouse are silk, and the overskirt is hand embroidered Indian cotton. The belt is made from hand-wrought Indian brass bells. Sheet acrylic forms the base.
ARTIST NOTES: The muse is a mythological, mysterious creature who, it is said, is the inspiration behind all art. A painter, composer, sculptor or poet is not able to create his finest work unless visited by his muse. Where this muse hides is a secret an artist would give all his worldly goods to know, and is beyond our discussion today. What this muse looks like, however, is open to speculation. Was young Eddie Degas visited by a tulle-clad muse one night? His mother might have explained that they lived next to Juanita's School of Dance, and Eddie was much given to confusion when he ran a high fever. Lucky for us the youngster recognized his muse when she appeared. How about the kid from Venice? Lenny might have had a favorite aunt who teased a lot...you know, the lady with the wry smile. Thank goodness he didn't see her as just a fun relative. I imagine, sometimes, that little Willie Shakespeare had a neighbor who was fanatical about her laundry. Willie perhaps watched her scrub and scrub and scrub to get the spots off the tablecloth. Whether Mrs. MacBeth was successful or not, she was for the moment the muse who inspired the boy. And then there's that Seurat kid. Such a strange child, always squinting and wrinkling up his face. Vision problem, they say. I seriously doubt he was surrounded by townsfolk with polychromatic blotchy complexions. History would have made a note somewhere about a plague that weird. How fortunate we are the boy was aware these folks wore the face of his muse. I could go on and on (my children say I usually DO), but I think I'll let you continue in this vein. Hope you find it a-muse-ing! (...sorry)
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For Questions or Comments about the Website E-mail Charlie Weiland
For Questions or Comments about the Artwork please E-mail Jeanne Weiland
This Page updated on 5/1/98