Arachne and Athena, 2010

Birth of a Nation comprises of a suite of ten etchings using imagery that is adapted from classical mythology to a South African context of visuality. The series is characterised by a copper matrix drawn using a drypoint needle and a variety of roulette tools to build up an immensely detailed surface. Each of the ten etchings have an edition size of 30. Prints are only available as part of a set.

Arachne & Athena
Are the moths silk moths? Is the spider an identifiable African species? “The spider is a bobbejaan [baboon] spider, indigenous to the region. It was a dead specimen I found one day on the floor in my house, they are quite large and fearsome. The moths are not silk moths but a common white moth that arrives around December in midsummer and dies in droves in the house lights.” – DV, September 2014.