leda and the swan

lately i've been thinking a lot about the myth of leda and the swan as i prepare for my upcoming show at mew gallery this august. i was struck by this myth of how zeus took the form of a giant swan and imposed himself in this form on the young and beautiful leda. the idea of the veil between mortals and the gods being so flimsy was captivating to me, as well as the choice of bird zeus choose. the result of this rape was the birth of twins castor and pollux as well as helen of troy and clytemnestra, thought to have been hatched within two separate twin eggs from leda. such a bizarre and striking image to reset the imagination.

this is a photo entitled 'that white rush' from photographer/film maker sam taylor-wood. the title comes from a line from the lovely yeats poem about this encounter:

And how can body, laid in that white rush,  

   But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?