“Wine Bearers” is a series of experimental digital photographic images born in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stella Baraklianou aimed to celebrate life and togetherness at a time of social distancing and isolation. The artist’s starting point is a curated selection of images of women painted on Ancient Greek vases, artifacts originally created to be used and enjoyed: a “krater” was a bowl used for mixing wine and water, an “amphora” was a jar with two handles used for the storage and transportation of wine and olive oil, and an “oenochoe” was a jug used to pour wine. The artist digitally manipulates and alters the female figures on the vases by exploring each figure’s reflective mirror image. Form and function come together, containers and contents interact. Women are animated, they are in flight or dancing, they are liberated from their confined space thanks to their mirror images. From static they become dynamic, from invisible they become visible. Ariadne, Thetis, Persephone, Eos, and the Maenads come to life and meet 21st century viewers in a celebration of joy and togetherness.
Text by Anna Tahinci, Professor in Art History, The Glassell School of Art,
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
Digital C-type prints on Kodak metallic paper, Limited editions of 10
