ANIMALS IN ART & MYTHOLOGY

Troy Emery has described his sculptures as “dream-like monsters”. It is interesting to imagine the stories that these fantastical creatures find themselves in.

Mythology is a group of myths or stories and is usually connected to certain cultures and religions. While it is often linked with the ancient past, mythology can refer to any story of how the world came to be or how humans have developed. Throughout the history of mythology from the Mesopotamian and Egyptian times through to the present, animals have always been present. Even as early as the Palaeolithic period, animal costumes were used to carry honoured people into the world of spirits. This shows their great significance to humans and our cultures.

Animals can represent various things in mythological stories. These different representations of animals reflect how humans think about them in real life. Through myths, we see that some creatures are more highly regarded than others and that they can be linked with different values; loyalty and bravery are connected to the dog and the lion, respectively. It is important to consider that throughout periods of time and diverse cultures, the way an animal appears in a given story can change.

Although myths are often linked with the past, it is generally agreed that mythology still exists today in the form of fantasy books, manga (Japanese comics) and urban myths. Animals remain present in these tales. Bigfoot, a large, hairy ape-like creature was reported in the news to have been seen in a forest in Oregon as recently as 2013. The ongoing presence of myths in our culture makes them a relevant topic of discussion today.

Artists have been documenting mythical stories for centuries and depicting the relationship between humans and animals. Over time the mediums and genres in which these stories have been told has changed, from drawing to painting, comic books and sculpture. Troy Emery has developed his own vehicle to engage with mythology through the use of soft textures of pom-poms.

KEY TERMS: Mythology, myths, manga, fantasy

EXPLORE: Urban myths, mythological stories

WORKSHEET 5.1 – MYTHICAL STORIES

Create your own mythical story. First, list the characteristics of the animals and humans in your story in the space provided. Write your story in the circle below. Then consider the medium you would use to communicate your story in an artwork, eg. Painting, sculpture, photo.

Animal Characters Human Characters

Creation Story Or Myth

GENRE AND MEDIUM - WHY?