The death of Cleopatra
May 24, 2020, 05:06 PM
Piece based on The Death of Cleopatra by Cara Kelly.
"I first became aware of the artist, sculptor Edmonia Lewis and her work 'The Death of Cleopatra' through the Smithsonian’s podcast 'Sidedoor’. At the time I was also first in contact with 'Cities and Memories' so when I was asked if I would be involved in the 'Smithsonian Treasures Exhibition' and 'The Death of Cleopatra' was one of the works listed it was an intuitive choice for me to make.
"‘The Death Of Cleopatra’ took Edmonia four years to complete, was created in Rome and accomplished for the Centennial Exhibition in 1876 and depicts a scene from Classical antiquity.
"The work bridges two different eras ie.the one it depicts namely the death of Cleopatra the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the end of the war between Anthony and Octavian (Augustus) and the one in which it was created... the ‘Capture of Rome’ in 1870 the end of the reign of the Papal States under the Holy See and the unification of the Italian peninsula under Emmanuel II.
"Perhaps using pencil and manuscript combined with digital sequencing samples of strings and choir is my own attempt at bridge-building. The sculpture's own history and the life and work of Edmonia engaged me for many weeks and led me to a richer appreciation for both. In writing this piece I have sought to accompany her work as you might a soloist with first and foremost respect to the great skill and voice of the artist and they're creation. I would hope that the viewer and the listener will also be inspired to further appreciation of the work of Edmonia Lewis."
Part of the Smithsonian Treasures project, a collection of new sound works inspired by items from the Smithsonian Museums’ collections - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/smithsonian
"I first became aware of the artist, sculptor Edmonia Lewis and her work 'The Death of Cleopatra' through the Smithsonian’s podcast 'Sidedoor’. At the time I was also first in contact with 'Cities and Memories' so when I was asked if I would be involved in the 'Smithsonian Treasures Exhibition' and 'The Death of Cleopatra' was one of the works listed it was an intuitive choice for me to make.
"‘The Death Of Cleopatra’ took Edmonia four years to complete, was created in Rome and accomplished for the Centennial Exhibition in 1876 and depicts a scene from Classical antiquity.
"The work bridges two different eras ie.the one it depicts namely the death of Cleopatra the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the end of the war between Anthony and Octavian (Augustus) and the one in which it was created... the ‘Capture of Rome’ in 1870 the end of the reign of the Papal States under the Holy See and the unification of the Italian peninsula under Emmanuel II.
"Perhaps using pencil and manuscript combined with digital sequencing samples of strings and choir is my own attempt at bridge-building. The sculpture's own history and the life and work of Edmonia engaged me for many weeks and led me to a richer appreciation for both. In writing this piece I have sought to accompany her work as you might a soloist with first and foremost respect to the great skill and voice of the artist and they're creation. I would hope that the viewer and the listener will also be inspired to further appreciation of the work of Edmonia Lewis."
Part of the Smithsonian Treasures project, a collection of new sound works inspired by items from the Smithsonian Museums’ collections - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/smithsonian