Seven Snakes - Inspiration Two

One of my artistic heroes, Guy Maddin, talks about having a space to create. He fills this space with pictures that inspire him to want to tell stories. I'm going to do that a little bit here at the blog in relation to the Mammals' new show SEVEN SNAKES






Who is the JUDGE in SEVEN SNAKES?

Every western needs its baddie, and our head baddie is an Octogenarian Veteran nicknamed the Judge. I was trying to remember what inspired this character. Combing through Google images, I found these images and I couldn't resist the visual comparisons.

It is an established stereotype in art and literature, the high ranking military man whose sense of duty,dogma, tradition becomes corrupted by xenophobia and hubris resulting in potentially catastrophic displays of power. Sometimes it isn't a military figure, but it appears to almost always be a patriarchal presence. For instance a statesman, law officer, high ranking administrator.

They are our elders, but they are not our fathers. We should not mistake their compassion of convenience with anything approaching paternal concern, even if they themselves make that same mistake.

Self proclaimed Abrahams that always see themselves as heroes regardless what darkness they enable, they insist we perform the role of Issac. They lift the sword slow in anticipation of the divine throat clearing itself in warning.