“…I started thinking about the myths that we build up around ourselves; they could be religious myths or not. And then I thought of personal histories and how the two tie together, and the key image that kept coming back into my mind was Medusa from mythology. The great thing about her that I love is just the aspect that you can be your own worst enemy. … Here is this powerful strong woman who, depending on the version of the story you’re reading, was severely mistreated, and in a way it isn’t quite fair that she ended up the way she is. She had this strength and beauty, but if she were to look in a mirror, she would destroy herself. Self-critical thoughts can keep you from doing things …[that’s] one of the core ideas that I wanted to include [in this work].” – Woodie Anderson (10/14/09 Go Triad, Greensboro News and Record) Read more from this interview here.
“There are lots of ways to explore the themes [of the myths that we build up around ourselves]. I did a series of Madonnas, and they are more about protection and maternal instincts. I am not a mother myself, but I feel like I understand that from friends who are mothers and being from a big family.” – Woodie Anderson (10/14/09 Go Triad, Greensboro News and Record) Read more from this interview here.
Additional Personal Mythologies: shown below and in Personal Mythologies: Preaching to the Choir.