Andrew Hazewinkel, Omphale

Contemporary Art

Australian Sculpture and Photography

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Andrew Hazewinkel
DISPUTED BECOMING (OMPHALE HERAKLES OMPHALE
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Gelatin silver print on fibre-based paper.

56 X 39 CM
Ed 3 + 1 AP

 

Two perspectives of the same subject overlap on a single strip of medium format film merging in the middle creating a commingled figure. The physical/material subject of this photograph is a slightly smaller than life-size limestone head of a statue (c.500 BCE) representing either Omphale or Herakles, its conceptual terrain describes gender fluidity, hybridity and plurality.

What and how much we know of the two vying identities presents an imbalance. While very little is known of Omphale, it is sometimes difficult to get away from the murderous omnipresent hyper-masculine hero Herakles.

What we do know of Omphale is that she was a queen of the iron age kingdom of Lydia, which following the death of her husband, she continued to rule independently. In this capacity she bought the services of Herakles who had was required by an oracle to enter slavery for a period of 3 years to atone for the killing of his friend Iphitus.

The story of Herakles’ enslavement to Omphale centres on her stipulation of an exchange of their garments and gendered roles wherein for the duration of the enslavement Herakles is required to wear exotic eastern women’s clothing and jewellery, and perform traditionally womens work like spinning wool and weaving. As this unfolds Omphale wears his iconic lion skin, takes possession of his olive wood club, and engages in typically male activities like hunting.

The head was acquired the National Archaeological Museum of Greece in 1899, it is one of the earliest objects to enter the collection. Archival records state that at the time of its accession it was catalogued as a head of Omphale, soon afterward the catalogue was updated to describe it as a head of Herakles. Since that time attributions have continued to vary, sometimes she becomes he and sometimes he becomes she. Reconsidered in a durational context me might consider them plural.


Photographic permission courtesy National Archaeological Museum Athens