Re-Membering Myth

Have you ever noticed that whenever a brother marries his sister, bad things happen?

Take the Egyptian god Osiris. He married his sister Isis, was made King of Mankind, and then became the target of his brother Set’s jealousy. Set dismembered Osiris and scattered the pieces of his body all over Egypt. Isis was distraught and sought to save her husband, so she scoured the country to find the pieces of her husband’s body. She found each part and bound them together, creating the first mummy, and bringing Osiris back to life to rule as the King of the Dead.

This story is the theme behind the “Osiris Paintings” of artist Anthony Apesos, on display in the Gallery of the Newton Free Library. This collection of 16 paintings can be neatly divided into three categories based on the thematic content and color palate used in each. Essentially, the categories correspond with the three main stages of Osiris’ legend.

Paintings depicting Osiris’ corpse serve as the first subcategory of the exhibit.These paintings are distinguished by their uniformly dark color scheme, dominated by shadows and feelings of despair and hopelessness. Most are portraits of Isis grieving over Osiris’ body, or over his skull alone. The color scheme complements the combination of mourning and anger inherent in this theme. The backgrounds of these paintings are black skies shot through with angry red accents. The skin tones of the figures are also darker than those in depicted in the other works displayed, created from a mixture of reds, grays and greens. This combination of colors creates an impressive depiction of death’s pallor in “Too Heavy.”

The second category of paintings in this exhibit depict Isis searching the countryside for the missing parts of her dead husband. These paintings are predominantly landscapes, into which Isis’ ghostly figure is placed. The paintings in this group are characterized by a drastic departure from the dusky colors seen in the paintings of Osiris’ death. Here we see a pastel color palate, best displayed in “Isis: The Paths Met.” This painting mixes a variety of vivid green shades that contrast with heavy blacks and browns to create a shadowy sylvan grove.

In this group of works we also see Apesos experimenting with the formation of his paintings. “Isis Searches” is a series of four smaller paintings which focus on a dismembered leg overlooking the seashore where Isis gathers bits of the body. This composition of one work from several smaller pieces, seen again in “The Hands of Isis,” corresponds well to the overarching theme of the exhibition.

The final group of paintings concentrates on the “re-membering” of Osiris by Isis. Bright yellow and brilliant blue hues are employed, but a tendency toward pastel tones remains, reminiscent of the previous category of paintings. However, it is apparent that Apesos chose to depict the reincarnation of Osiris through the use of lively colors.

“Osiris Re-membered by his Two Sisters” and “Isis Re-members Osiris,” are physically dominating pieces, approximately six feet in height and four feet in width. But the stature of these two paintings is not what is most remarkable about them. The most noticeable aspect is that each work shares an identical central image: Isis, clad in a yellow robe, is lifting a half-naked, presumably revived Osiris off the ground.

This image is reproduced again in the work “Witness.” In these large paintings the scene is anachronistic, as Isis is dressed in the fashions of the ancient world, while spectators of her actions are dressed in jeans and cable knit sweaters. The onlookers appear slightly altered in both works, as does a large wolf-like dog. The presence of the animal could be a reference to Anubis, the jackal-headed son of Osiris and his other sister Nefis. The concept of the re-membering having taken place in modern time also reappears in two additional paintings.

Overall Apesos’ paintings are thematically interesting but not artistically involving. Like the overall exhibit, Apesos’ artistic experimentation seems fragmented, and spread about in pieces. Apesos only sparsely textures his paint, making the majority of the work flat and commercial in appearance. The few times that Apesos experiments with a textured application of paint, it enhances the work, and makes the viewer wish he had used these techniques more often. Additionally, Apesos’ style changes very little throughout the exhibit. For the most part, he uses oil paints to create clearly defined images, reminiscent of the Romantic painters, but on a few occasions he creates a somewhat blurred, muted scene, making the painting seem more at home in the Realist tradition.

On the whole, this small and fragmented spectrum of work does not justify the hour long ride on the T, and the mile long walk required to reach the Newton Free Library. The concept is good, though viewing 16 paintings based on the same topic becomes slightly monotonous, despite the division of focus employed. If Apesos could “re-member” the positive aspects of this exhibition to create three superior works from the 16 mediocre ones, the exhibit might be worth a look. But as it is, save your time and your T token, and read a book of Egyptian mythology.

Anthony Apesos’ “Osiris Paintings” will be on view at the Gallery in the Newton Free Library through April 29. For more information, please call (617) 552-7145.