THE VENUS SERIES

Top image and video: Venus Pacis (Venus of Peace) 86 x 36 in (213 x 91 cm); 

Above: Venus Lunae (Venus of the Moon) 10 x 14 in (25 x 35 cm).

Below: Venus Aquatilis (Underwater Venus) 108 x 144 in (274 x 365 cm)

Below (video): Venus Aquatilis (Underwater Venus),  108 x 144 in (274 x 365 cm).

Above: Venus Sui (Self Venus) 65 x 47 in (165 x 119 cm)

Above left to right: Venus Abolitionis Banner (Venus of Abolition), Venus Temporis (Venus of Time) 15 x 11 in (38 x 28 cm); Venus Abolitionis (Venus of Abolition)  20.5 x 24 in. (55 x 61 cm) and 

Above: Venus Sirenusae (Mermaid Venus / Siren Venus) 30 x 80 in. (76 x 203 cm)

Clockwise from top left: Venus Asiaticus (Asian Venus) 102 x 43 in (259 x 109 cm); Venus Degentium (Venus Diaspora) 36 x 24 in (91 x 61 cm); Venus Maris (Venus of the Sea) 72 x 30 in (183 x 76 cm) and Venus ex Tabulae (Venus of Maps) 28 x 22 in (71 x 56 cm).

Above left to right: Venus Mundi (Venus of the World) 12 x 12 in (30 x 30 cm); Coelestis Venus (Celestial Venus) 10 x 14 in (25 x 35 cm).

The Venus Series consists of thirteen collages made from maps. The beauty of a map is often enhanced by our memories or sentimental values we attach to it. Maps of places we have visited may bring back recollections, but we may also be intrigued by maps of places we have never visited - places we associate with loved ones or ancestors, or just places we long to visit. The Venus Series uses maps in unexpected ways to take us on unexpected journeys. 

This series began with maps collected while traveling in the Mediterranean, a trip I had dreamed of since studying art history. Nothing had prepared me to be mind-blown for 24-7. The beauty, monumental scale of both sculptures and architecture, along with the extreme age of the objects and structures kept me in nonstop awe. 

For me, antiquities convey a timeless connectedness of humans, with a shared commonality of humankind throughout the ages and across the oceans. As an artist who makes things with my hands, often using materials and techniques that have existed for centuries, I envision my place as an artist in an ancient era, carving stone, painting frescoes, making mosaics or working with clay. 

In my art practice, Venus serves as a vastly inspiring muse. The Venuses of this series range from being iconographic and classical to serious or playful. Each of these Venuses are strong women with a renewed sense of agency not always seen in classical art. The first collages of this series began with each Venus bearing a Latin name, to avoid being authentic to any single country or geographical area. The series later developed with some Venuses representing regions or ethnicities. 

The first few collages of the series were made from maps of my own travels, but I have since used donated maps. The scribbled notes and coffee stains on used maps enhance the experience.

My nature as an artist is not to do the same thing twice, so no two collages are designed alike, and each was inspired by something different. The works of this series range in scale from 12 x 12 inches to 9 x 12 feet. The collages are made from paper and are attached to paper, canvas or fabric. 

La Serie Venus consta de trece collages creados a partir de mapas. La belleza de un mapa a menudo se ve realzada por nuestros recuerdos o los valores sentimentales que le atribuimos. Los mapas de lugares que hemos visitado pueden evocar recuerdos, pero también podemos sentirnos atraídos por mapas de lugares que nunca hemos visitado: lugares que asociamos con seres queridos o antepasados, o simplemente lugares que anhelamos conocer. La Serie Venus utiliza mapas de formas inesperadas para llevarnos a viajes sorprendentes.

Esta serie comenzó con mapas que recopilé durante un viaje por el Mediterráneo, un viaje con el que había soñado desde que estudiaba historia del arte. Nada me había preparado para la impresión que me causó. La belleza, la escala monumental tanto de las esculturas como de la arquitectura, junto con la antigüedad de los objetos y las estructuras, me dejaron completamente asombrado.

Para mí, las antigüedades transmiten una conexión atemporal entre los seres humanos, una humanidad compartida a lo largo de los siglos y a través de los océanos. Como artista que crea con sus propias manos, utilizando a menudo materiales y técnicas que existen desde hace siglos, me imagino a mí mismo como un artista de la antigüedad, tallando piedra, pintando frescos, haciendo mosaicos o trabajando con arcilla.

En mi práctica artística, Venus me sirve como una musa de gran inspiración. Las Venus de esta serie abarcan desde representaciones iconográficas y clásicas hasta otras más serias o juguetonas. Cada una de estas Venus son mujeres fuertes con un renovado sentido de autonomía que no siempre se aprecia en el arte clásico. Los primeros collages de esta serie comenzaron con cada Venus llevando un nombre en latín, para evitar identificarse con un solo país o área geográfica. Posteriormente, la serie evolucionó, con algunas Venus representando regiones y etnias específicas.

Los primeros collages de la serie se hicieron con mapas de mis propios viajes, pero desde entonces he utilizado mapas donados. Las notas garabateadas y las manchas de café en los mapas usados ​​enriquecen la experiencia.

Mi naturaleza como artista me impulsa a no repetir lo mismo dos veces, por lo que no hay dos collages iguales, y cada uno está inspirado en algo diferente. Las obras de esta serie varían en tamaño, desde 12 x 12 pulgadas hasta 9 x 12 pies. Los collages están hechos de papel y están adheridos a papel, lienzo o tela.

#1

Venus Temporis (Venus of Time) 2022 15 x 11 in (38 x 28 cm)

The concept for this collage was inspired by ancient art and architecture while traveling in the Mediterranean. Venus Temporis (Venus of Time), gets her name from the timetables and train schedules from maps used in this collage. She celebrates the timeless and global connectedness of women, and acknowledges feminine beauty, knowledge, strength and goodness. The collage turned out as I had envisioned, but is not easily recognizable as being made from maps. Resolving this became the inspiration for the second Venus.

#2

Venus ex Tabulae (Venus of Maps) 2022 28 x 22 in (71 x 56 cm)

The second Venus, Venus ex Tabulae (Venus of Maps), is a slightly larger variation of the original Venus of the series and was collaged with the intention of being quickly recognized as being made from maps. (More so than the first Venus.)  Like the first Venus, she pays homage to the timeless and global connectedness of women, celebrating their beauty, knowledge, strength and goodness.

#3

Venus Maris (Venus of the Sea) 2023 72 x 30 in (183 x 76 cm)

Wanting to work in a larger scale, I created a life-sized Venus. I also wanted this collage to have more of a three-dimensional form. This process required collaging many tiny map pieces and was more meticulous and slower paced. But how rewarding seeing Venus come to life, limb by limb. She is made from maps of my own travels from various coastal towns of Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece, which is why Venus Maris (Venus of the Sea) is named for the sea.

#4

Venus Sui (Self Venus) 2023 65 x 47 in (165 x 119 cm)

Wanting to work larger than life-size, I collaged a 5-foot-tall head. My initial goal was to create a face that didn’t identify with any specific ethnicity – which has since led me to wonder if such a face exists. I started the collage by using beautiful blue and lavender map pieces to create her facial features. But rather than looking like she could be any ethnicity, to me she looked European. Abandoning my original plan and realising she coincidentally had been made from maps of places where I have lived, I turned her into a self-portrait - hence the name Venus Sui (Self Venus). Ironically, she went from an attempt to represent all women to representing just one woman – me.

#5

Venus Degentium (Venus Diaspora) 2023 36 x 24 in (91 x 61 cm)

The fifth Venus, Venus Degentium (Diaspora Venus), represents the African diaspora (separation from ancestral homeland). This Venus’s physical characteristics celebrate African femininity, in contrast to the classical Greek and Roman feminine ideal that we often see in Western art. Her natural, full hair is made from a collage of the United States. She stands regally upon triple symbolism: an open book(truth and knowledge); lotus flower (serenity); and half-shell(beauty). At her feet is a vintage map of the world misleadingly entitled, “The Age of Discovery”. She is unchained, but the pages of the book are bound together with chains representing our inescapable tie to our nation’s history. She wears a halo in homage to the martyrdom and suffering which began with the transatlantic slave trade. In her hand she holds the continent of Africa in a loose grip.

#6

Venus Asiaticus (Asian Venus) 2023 102 x 43 in (259 x 109 cm)

The sixth Venus, Venus Asiaticus (Asian Venus) spans 8 ½ feet. She is not limited to a specific area or country. Her elegant hands, held in an offset position, are reminiscent of Asian wood carvings. She symbolizes strength and serenity.

#7

Venus Sirenusae (Mermaid Venus / Siren Venus) 2023 30 x 80 in (76 x 203 cm)

The most playful of the Venuses, Venus Sirenusae is known as both Mermaid Venus or Siren Venus since the word for mermaid in Latin, Spanish and French are each derivatives of the word siren.  This Venus was inspired by a boating trip to the Sirenusas Islands, off the Amalfi coast. How thrilling to see that the tiny islands we know from Homer’s Odyssey really do exist. In Greek mythology the sweetness of the sirens’ song lured sailors to their destruction, but this Venus wouldn’t hurt a fly. She is a life-sized mermaid (if such a thing exists), and the first of the Venus series to be represented in a reclining position. She wears a starfish crown, sunglasses, and a bikini top made from maps of the United States. Perched on a floating map of the world she rides a wave under a radiant sun.

#8

Venus Abolitionis (Venus of Abolition) 2023 20.5 x 24 in (55 x 61 cm)

The eighth Venus uses vintage maps of Paris and New York City, the two cities with historical connections to the Statue of Liberty. Sadly forgotten is the little-known fact that the statue was originally made to commemorate emancipation - the end of slavery in the United States. She was originally named La Liberté Éclairant le Monde (Liberty Enlightening the World) by the French abolitionist Edouard de Laboulaye, who conceived of and commissioned this monument. Ironically, because of segregation, no Blacks were allowed to attend the dedication ceremony on October 28, 1886. No women were allowed to attend either.

#9

Venus Aquatilis (Underwater Venus) 2023 108 x 144 in (274 x 365 cm)

The ninth Venus of the series swims towards the ocean floor accompanied by a sea turtle, basking in the flora and fauna of their surroundings. Using surprisingly little modifications, a map of English Channel was transformed into Venus's torso, head and flowing hair. This coral reef includes a giant sea fan, schools of fish, corals, sponges, starfish, jellyfish, an octopus and seahorse. The maps used in this collage have fun playing with Mother Nature’s tendency to repeat and recycle similar visual patterns sometimes in monumentally different scales: Rivers and coastlines from maps become the veins and edges of the collage’s giant sea fan. 

#10 

Venus Mundi (Venus of the World) 2024 12 x 12 in (30 x 30 cm

The  tenth collage depicts Venus standing atop a map of the world, earning her name, Venus Mundi (Venus of the World). Created specifically to display at the Fairmont Hotel during Frieze LA 2024 (the international art fair), this piece can be thought of as a 12 x 12-inch business card of sorts, enticing Frieze guests to visit the rest of the Venus series. 

#11

Coelestis Venus (Celestial Venus) 2024 10 x 14 in (25 x 35 cm)

The eleventh Venus stands beside an astronomical map, a cartographic representation of the stars and galaxies of the Northern and Southern Skies. The Venus figure was collaged using maps from around the world. Her crown is fashioned from a map of a fortified wall in ancient Rome. The iconic 1748 plan of Ancient Rome was made by Italian cartographer and architect Giambattista Nolli (1701-1765). This Venus was created specifically for a group show of small works.

#12 

Venus Lunae (Venus of the Moon) 10 x 14 in (25 x 35 cm).

Against a black canvas, appears a cartographer's representation of the lunar landscape and the seas of the Moon,  while Venus Lunae majestically rides a shooting star. This is the only Venus to be hand drawn, rather than made from a collage. Cut rice paper depicts the phases of the Moon.

#13

Venus Pacis (Venus of Peace) 86 x 36 in (213 x 91 cm); 

This is the first Venus of the collage series to incorporate my own drawings and calligraphy, and printed papers other than maps. 

I first heard the term Peace on Earth as a preschooler. A holiday card’s cover greeting was read to me, and I liked the sentiment. I was aware of a war existing in the world, and naively thought that this one conflict was all that stood between the human race and the magnificence of world peace. Years passed while the conflict continued, and in the meantime, I learned of other conflicts in the world. Attaining world peace would be more difficult than I had initially imagined. 

This Venus expresses my continued dream for world peace.