My Little Sculptures

Here are the considerations that led to the research of Paola Mirai towards the creation of fantastic sculptures, a source of constant inspiration, adorn her artisan workshop, keepin me company.

In order to get closer to the myth, we have to develop a new sensory organer

We do not need to appeal to the usual rational, practical or abstract considerations that we are used to, nor to theoretical judgement, but to the contemplation of images. Kerenyi gives us a beautiful picture saying that “the water must be fetched and drunk fresh from the spring if it is to flow through us and quicken our hidden mythological talents.”.” Kerenyi also suggests that mythology is “an art with a special assumption as regards its subjectmatter. A particular kind of material determines the art of mythology, an immemorial and traditional body of material contained in tales about gods and god-like beings, heroic battles and journeys to the Underworld.” The people to whom these exploits were familiar, didn’t just sing about them like a kind of music, but lived them. Those of us from another song have lost the immediate access to the great realities of the spiritual world. And it is all this that is authentically mythological that belongs to this reality.

Due to our scientific spirit we have lost this ability, so that given a chalice to drink, we explain it to ourselves taking away the pleasure of the actual experience,and it is for this that Kerenyi talks about the “spring” of mythology. But where is this spring? Inside us? Only inside us? Also outside of us? Only outside of us? And it is these intriguing questions that led to my research.

K. Kerenyi_Jung, Prolegomena The Science of Mythology, Bollati Boringhieri
Mirella Giuliano_student of greek mythology