Giants
2024-
The work is about the unique relationships between older people and babies . It also about my childhood. experiences with my “ yiayia” (grandmother) and her over the top four sisters. I grew up with them and I always felt that there was a whole legion of nameless , albeit invisible, ancestors that were were nearby and ready to offer help through dreams, or coffee cup readings, or rituals to remove the evil eye. I was spat on a lot and rescued from dangers I had no idea even existed.
“Who are the people that I belong to? How did they show up and create the safety and abundance that have blessed my life?”
I made three drawings of female giants that are heavily influenced by ancient Greek vases.. They travel between different time zones and landscapes– underworld, topside world and the liminal threshold of being in between the two.
They wear enormous durable, bad ass converse sneakers and sometimes sparkly sequined Chinese mesh slippers. They might put on blue eyeshadow and red lipstick as my grandmother did. Or wear a turban, kerchief or bathing cap when they are out, also as my grandmother and her sisters did.
These equally tough and tender broads occupy a different world than the mundane black figures that I have painted against a red background.
After finishing these paintings my friend, the Lithuanian-American writer Audra Boudres gave me a manuscript to read about her childhood memories of Lithuanian summer camp. There she heard stories around the camp fire about “Laumes” who are gigantic old women who rescue children. N
Do you know any stories about female giants? Do you know of any stories about Elders in general who rescue, hide, and raise abandoned and abused children? We would love to know them!!!!
In my research I find there is a tendency to conflate female pirates with female giants. By doing so, the radical protectiveness of giants is diminished or erased. Pirate queens are usually young and beautiful, while giants are grotesquely aged. For me, most importantly is that pirate queens meet and reap the overcultural rewards that come from the thrill of having the power to win at something. Stories of female giants come from a different tradition where conquest is not the goal.
