My visit to Watts Gallery, Surrey

Very inspiring.  Is it just me or is the minotaur a bit sexy in a brutish way?  Watts would have hated what i did with it - he had much higher moral/classical meanings.  The minotaur was classical figure that young men were annually sacrificed to.  His cruel left hand has squashed a small bird.  Watts did it when he heard of the problem of child prostitutes in london in the late 19th century.   Clytie is turning into something, can't remember - i saw his sculpture of it at the V&A Cult of Beauty exh, the white marble version.  His gallery has a black bronze version.  The way she twists her body and throws back her body is beautiful and it just seemed to go with Mr sexy bull.


Watts Minotaur

Watts Clytie

Clyt, Mino and me having afternoon cream tea

My drawing of Mino getting fresh with Clyt

I was going to throw in him most famous 'Hope' which is also beautiful - have her a bit like 'while rome burned' kind of thing hovering above them but i ran out of space and time.

It is a beautiful work though - she listens closely as she tries to pluck the one remaining string of her old harp - now that's hope for you - there have been many tribute pics done - one latest one is of Obama as hope.