Medusa 2022

I find the mythological story of Medusa to be very disturbing. A woman who had great beauty and hair that men could not resist. They could do as they pleased with her because of her looks. In the stories, a jealous female goddess cursed her by turning her unattractive and with hair of snakes. Any male that looked at her, would turn into a stone.

I wonder what our culture would do today with such fears of a womens beauty and hair and with such powers. What if we decided a man can view a woman however he chooses and the fault lies in her for being beautiful? What if a women could turn another women into such a creature today? What would we do? In my drawing, the decision would made to allow men to view her as much as they desire but Medusa can not look back. Her eyelashes have become snakes so that her eyes would be closed over time and people could continue to look at her as much as they pleased without any Consequences. She would be judged from here on by what others decide she is worthy of. Her worth to our culture would be defined by the curse, gossip and laws we placed on her.