Jason Shorr
Growing-up looking for heroes, Shorr found the usual allotted assortment of characters. Spider-Man, Super Man, and the Hulk were a few he could identify with. Their fantastic powers allowed him to pursue fantasies that could take him beyond what his mortal body was capable of.
Even at such a young age, we are aware of our physical limitations and search for something to transcend the flesh. When Shorr was nine he stumbled upon a Greek Mythology book in his school library and discovered the stories that introduced him to his new superheroes. Shorr's fantasies now revolved around immortal gods, imaginary creatures, and adventurous men and women who often undertook great feats and long arduous quests.
Simultaneously, he became greatly interested in anatomy and science, making drawings that that explored the various systems of the human body. The contrast between the ever-increasing understanding of his own body and the stories of the super human Greek characters fascinated him. Shorr no longer pretended to have the strength of the Hulk, but of Hercules or Zeus. Perseus slaying Medusa to rescue Andromeda took the place of Superman’s quests to defeat Lex Luthor to save Lois Lane. As he grew-up, many of the underlying themes, although with a more subtle association of the myths, mirrored facets of Shorr's own life. The reflection on this association lead him to create work that is both illustrative of the myth as well as a reference to a more personal theme.
Shorr thinks mythology endures because of our ability to find similarities between the lives of the gods, heroes, characters, and ourselves. As we did when we were young, we still have that yearning to become more than what our already amazing bodies will permit. We strive for immortality, goddess-like beauty, and other abilities that supersede what we have naturally been instilled with.
“MYTH” is an ongoing series of works that began taking form in early 2002. Since the conception of the series, Shorr has wanted to put together an exhibition that showcases the works he continues to find so fascinating to explore. |
