06/20/2025
Artist Statement
Medusa, one of three Gorgons, has been described as a woman with living snakes on her head for hair and the power to turn men to stone when they looked upon her gaze.
The story in mythology says that Athena discovered Medusa was having an affair with Poseidon. Filled with rage, the goddess punished Medusa by turning her from a beautiful maiden to a scorned ugly beast with snakes for hair, cursing her with a gaze that turned men to stone. To ensure she would never be loved again, Athena cast her out of the land to a far away island. Cast away, into a life of isolation and shame.
This story has been told in many forms through the generations. One variation on the tale describes Poseidon at war with Athena. To get revenge on her, he pursued a beautiful maiden devoted to Athena. Poseidon sexually assaulted Medusa, a priestess of Athena’s temple known for her beauty. He left Medusa on the stairs of the temple, broken and filled with fear for Athena’s wrath, while she begged for forgiveness. As with most women in society, rather than blaming Poseidon for his disloyalty and the blatant assault of one of her own, Athena instead punished Medusa with her infamous curse.
This tale has lived on through centuries of story tellers. Adapted to suit the needs of society over time, it always blamed the victim. Never blaming the aggressor, Poseidon, for being so power hungry. Poseidon felt entitled to a woman’s body in order to punish another woman.
For centuries, we have blamed women for their abuse. Many statements write off the actions of the male aggressors in society, entirely dissolving the man's responsibility in the act.
This series’s objective is to bring light to feminine plights. To so many centuries of the male gaze and distasteful behaviors being tolerated and written off as simple “masculine traits”. To the way society has trained cultures to first blame the female, never the male initiator.
As we continue to watch society evolve, we find more and more women fighting for equality. Our rights that are given to us then are subsequently taken away too often by the societal culture that has been programmed over centuries to believe we are lesser.
Medusa is a three part series, evoking the beauty of Medusa that is often overlooked. The power of the female gaze and her ability to turn men to stone is reflective of the plight of Women’s Rights. Too often, we are blamed for being beautiful, or for looking too attractive, or for having too much to say.
The goal of this series is to bring Medusa the recognition she deserves. Allowing the viewer to see her as not just a beast scorned by the male aggressor and punished unfairly, but as a woman of beauty. A dignified mythological creature deserving rebirth, just as so many women deserve to see themselves. Let this series stand as a symbol of healing so many women deserve.
Author: Kaitlyn Daniell’ Madsen
Editor: Dylan Walker
