B. Raad: “The loneliness within the macro universe that the Odyssey seems to hint at”
The Unmoving abode of the gods, unshaken by winds, never soaked by rain, and where the snow never drifts, but the brilliant sky stretches cloudless away, and brightness streams through the air. (Homer, Odyssey 5.41–45)
Writes Professor Albert Lafarge:
“Mesa,” by Ahmad Raad (who goes by B), grew on me and still grows. B is interested in film and really went after this image, which he created in Literary Traditions to interpret a passage in the Odyssey. The wall is ambiguously monumental, blank, brut, radiant. I like the tones, the composition, and how the figure stands in relation to the monument.
Writes B. Raad (’20):
For “Mesa,” my Literary Traditions art piece, I wanted to explore the theme of loneliness within the macro universe that the Odyssey seems to hint at. Odysseus’ journey is constantly painted as a series where our protagonist is alone and experiencing the wrath of the world, both ancient and old. For my art piece I wanted to use sharp and clean lines, warm tones, and modern contemporary and abstract techniques to illustrate the lone protagonist exploring the lived-in and ancient world.
The image reflects my appreciation of architecture and puts to scale the main subject against the macro world, representing the mortality and frailty of humankind, projecting a modern and visual interpretation of Homer’s epic. A quote that inspired my piece and my enthusiasm to pursue the photo and shares the theme of “Colossal,” “Macro,” is this passage from the Odyssey: “The Unmoving abode of the gods, unshaken by winds, never soaked by rain, and where the snow never drifts, but the brilliant sky stretches cloudless away, and brightness streams through the air.”
This passage expresses my goal to visually produce a piece of artwork that works in conjunction with words like “epic.” Ultimately, the piece gathers influence and inspiration from the Odyssey, from “Ozmandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, and from Elihu Vedder’s painting, The Questioner of the Sphinx. All those works encapsulate this theme of humans versus the macroverse. The woman depicted at the front of my photo is put to scale against the side of a building—the choice to cut off the building right before you see any window creates an illusion of this never ending piece of massive stone. But it also puts into perspective the size of a human enduring greater threats, much as Odysseus faces larger threats than just an army.