Dellow, Jeffrey
In Greek mythology the satyr Marsyas challenged Apollo to a contest of music. The terms of the contest stated that the winner could treat the defeated party any way he wanted. Marsyas lost and was flayed alive in a cave near Celaenae for challenging a god.
The contest of Apollo and Marsyas, often seen as symbolizing the eternal struggle between the Apollonian and Dionysian aspects of human nature, proved to be a source of inspiration for many artists throughout the centuries. Jeffrey Dellow's 'Marsyas' was inspired by Titian's 'The Flaying of Marsyas'. The artist writes: 'Some of my recent paintings have been inspired by Titian, particularly his late works. The same passion holds true today, but the pictorial means develop from a growing tradition – to grow from our sensations. These for myself are ultimately emotional equivalents to experience, in terms of painting.'
A John Moores Exhibition prize winner, Jeffrey Dellow has exhibited at the Hayward and Whitechapel Galleries. He is a Principal Lecturer in the School of Fine Art at Kingston University.
Monika McConnell
Marsyas
1982