Ekphrasis, or the vivid verbal representation of visual representation, can be crafted in a number of ways – so how does our choice of description shape how we behold an object? These clips aim to peel away the different layers of the Votary, while exploring the various ways in which she has been deconstructed and reconstructed, to illustrate the complexities of archaeological description. They can be compared with the Goddess trilogy, which has different perspectives.
The first clip (description) is a detailed portrayal of the physical object as it is beheld today. This narrative provides some museum context, including how she is presented in labels. The second clip (discovery and reconstruction) continues in third person voice, leading to a more traditional account of how she was found and recreated both physically and interpretatively. The third clip (reproduction and reimagining) switches to first person as the Votary narrates her responses to how she has been rebuilt, the influences she has had, and how it feels to be ‘reborn’ in embodied representations.
Please note: this is work in progress and an experimental piece. These clips will be replaced in due course (and the slight hum to the recording removed). In the meantime, please do not cite the work as it stands.
Read by Ellen Adams (King's College London), The Many Lives of a Snake Goddess Project
Read by Ellen Adams (King's College London), The Many Lives of a Snake Goddess Project
Read by Ellen Adams (King's College London), The Many Lives of a Snake Goddess Project
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