Forme del Mito - Part Two

As I wrote yesterday, Forme del Mito, or Forms of Myth, is a group of bronze sculptures located in King George Square designed by Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro. Each figure represents a force and principal character from the Greek tragedy of Agamemnon. We left off yesterday as Agamemnon had sacrificed his daughter Iphegenia to gain favour with the gods as he went to fight the Trojan War.

The war spanned several years and after the capture of Troy, Cassandra, doomed prophetess, fell to Agamemnon's lot in the distribution of the prizes of war. Agamemnon returned to his kingdom with Cassandra, however in his absence his wife Clytemnestra had taken a lover Aegisthus. Together they plotted to murder Agamemnon and Cassandra. They were invited to a banquet at which they were treacherously slain. Clytemnestra wrath at the sacrifice of Iphegenia, and her jealousy of Cassandra, are said to have been the motives of her crime. Here, Clytemnestra is represented as the cylindrical shape in the foreground with the form of ambition. Aegisthus is in the background in the form of the machine.

The fourth of the sculptures represents Cassandra, in the form of prophecy. The tragedy continued in that Agamemnon's son, Orestes, in turn avenged his father's death by killing his mother Clytemnestra, and Aegisthus, although this led to his downward spiral into madness. I would bet that many people look at these sculptures and might think "Dalek", or "Golden Music Box" - but not many would think they represented Greek Tradgedy in all its messy glory. Another reason why I love Brisbane, because our cultural diversity is so obscure!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.

Forme del Mito - Part One

Forme del Mito, or Forms of Myth, is a group of bronze sculptures located in King George Square, between Adelaide and Ann Streets. Brisbane City Council purchased the pieces after the finish of World Expo 1988, for which they were brought to Brisbane. Designed by Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro in 1983, the Forme Del Mito is derived from the Greek tragedy of Agamemnon. Each figure represents a force and principal character from the tragedy.

Arnaldo Pomodoro was born on June 23, 1926, in Morciano, Romagna, Italy. He has world renown as a sculptor having his work exhibited and housed throughout the world. With this work, as viewed from right to left from Brisbane City Hall, each bronze piece represents:

• Il potere - Power - Agamemnon
• L'ambizione - Ambition - Clytemnestra
• La macchina - Machine - Aegisthus
• La profezia - Prophecy - Cassandra

In mythological Greek tragedy, Agamemnon was the King of Mycenea. In representations of the Trojan War, Agamemnon led a campaign to conquer Troy and rescue Helen, who had been abducted by Paris. Before leaving he sacrificed his daughter Iphegenia to obtain favourable winds from the Goddess Artemis. The first of these sculptures in the form of a powerful pyramid represents Agamemnon.

I've decided to split this post into two, as there are four pieces and characters represented with this sculpture. Therefore to do it justice, I'll finish the story of Agamemnon tomorrow.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

Click Here for the Google Map Reference for this post.