Media
entrepreneur and film historian Mikhail Peppas was delighted at the news that his photographic entry, ‘Equus
with Warrior: Ancient Intersections’ was selected as a finalist in
the 2018 Sasol New Signatures art competition.
He
attended the opening night of the Exhibition of Winning Works at Pretoria Art
Museum. The exhibition runs from 30 August to 7 October.
Conceptual
Statement
Equus with Warrior:
Ancient Intersections
Name:
‘Ox-head’
Born:
355BC
Died:
326BC
Aged:
30
‘Faithful
Unto Death’
A
city named in his honour in Pakistan
A
magnificent strong-willed black stallion
Bucephalia
Species:
Equus caballus
Spooked
by his own shadow
The
most famous horse of history – Bucephalus
With
Alexander, forged a cult that after them
It
was expected of a conqueror that he have a famous horse
The
kingdom of Macedonia was too small for them
Battle
after battle – victory upon victory – mortally wounded and surrounded by
attackers, Bucephalus carried his master to safety
A
curious half lazy stroll along the promenade of Thess City in the darkening night
blasted in harsh flooded lights to step across the shadow of a horse that was
terrified of shadows
The
hybrid virtual centaur bonded intersectionally human with horse
But
wait. Does the energetic frenzy in searing sunshards appear to calm as the sun
slips to face horse’s head at eye level?
The
granite plinth weighted heavily on to the terra firma is too solid for energy
but might survive long after the warrior and horse have toppled into the
chambers of a forgotten history
But
that is in the lap of mythology. For the centaurs are the sons of gods whose
higher intelligence forms a bridge between earth and heaven
Let
the tourist pass by happily snapping from the White Tower to the Umbrellas Sculpture
and perhaps a turn to the shields and heavily long spears that in boundary line
remove somewhat the view of the bonded hybrid
