STEVEN R. TABOR
  • Home
  • Dressed
  • Undressed
  • Redressed
  • Concepts
  • Tunes
  • All
    • Petanque
    • Les Joutes
    • Joy
    • We live here
    • Photos of others
    • Jazz now
    • Dancing the night away
    • Kampung
    • On Safari
    • 3 October
    • Fun Swim Run
    • Forbidden Pleasures
    • Garden variety
    • Outsiders Painting Large
    • Streetvew Weddings
    • Hanging out
    • Marching to prosperity
    • I was there
    • Groovin
    • Pokémon GO
    • Fooled me
    • Markets
    • In the bathroom
    • I am Sri Lankan
    • The haunting of Rogers Forge
    • My early years
    • Conflict
    • Let their voices be heard
    • Pure light abstracted
    • Chap Go Mei Zumba
    • Wild Tales of Serendib
    • HONfest
    • Homage to the Anatomy Lesson
    • Celebrating Rembrandt
    • Pride
    • Painting bodies
    • Landings
    • Mia
    • Less is More
    • Inked
    • Tattoo 2022
    • Noir et Blanc en Couleur
    • Girl and a cane
    • Poses
    • The bird people
    • Send in the Clowns
    • Picture Frames for People
    • Hold the Line
    • The Waking Hours Before Dawn
    • Bathing
    • 'Scapes
    • Ode to the Vegans
    • M in the House
    • Sofa Sofa
    • Big Fish
    • Lekker Lezen
    • Hands Off
    • Guitar Muse
    • Tulip Twins
    • Reflections
    • Bars
    • Bear Necessities
    • Sanity
    • Corona Spring
    • The Long Kiss Goodbye
    • Anahí: In the Wind
    • Sunset Beach
    • Projections
    • Anahí: Recumbent
    • Projections Volume 2
    • Projecting Malevich
    • Projecting Escher
    • Projecting Skin Deep
    • Projecting Léger, Miró & Pollock
    • Projecting Decorations
    • Projecting Mondrian
    • Projecting Mandala
    • Projecting Illusions
    • Projecting Words and Bodies
    • Projecting Kandinsky and Rothko
    • Projecting Mondrian on Zoi
    • Projecting Real People
    • Endurance
    • Unsuitable
    • Stairs
    • Veiled
    • Veiled II
    • Fall Colors
    • Pulp Fictioned
    • Lakeside
    • Creation
    • Bed, Boots & Bath
    • Mask in the Mirror
    • Relaxing
    • Freestyle
    • Natural Light Portraits
    • Showerscapes
    • Unwrapped
    • Mirror, Mirror
    • Pieces
    • Projecting Nature
    • Projecting Origami
    • O'Keeffe Reimagined
    • The Rolling Stones' Tongue
    • Repetition
    • Minding the Store
    • Lovebirds
    • Greece 1973
    • Bouzigues Remembered
    • Murals
    • Blond on Blond
    • Splatter
    • Hot & Cold
    • Stay-at-Home
    • That Scene
    • Dafne in the Mirror
    • Dafne on the Vine
    • Outtakes
    • Headshots
    • 3-6-9
    • Underground
    • Wild Thing
    • Eye of the Beholder
    • Tulip Arrangements
    • Projecting Kate Ri
    • Expressions
    • Ghosts
    • Carrot-top
    • Camouflage
    • Digital Waves
    • The English Sailor
    • Windy Beach Night
    • Quiet Hours
    • Cloud Illusions
    • Big Fish Selfies
    • Dreamcards
    • After
    • Burlesque
    • Unmute Us
    • Natural Beauties
    • Backlit
    • Ankie
    • Joiners
    • Projecting Van Gogh
    • Covering up
    • Lines and Curves
    • Lobster Time
    • Home Decorations
    • Clawin' to the Top
    • A Helping Hand
    • Fireworks
    • Lockdown
    • Meshed Up
    • Cheaper by the Dozen
    • Dubai Colorscrapers
    • Dubai Colorscrapers
    • Sparkle
    • Parking Lot
    • Lounging
    • Me and Me
    • Projecting Impressionism
    • Projecting Dubuffet
    • Portraits of Manya
    • Amsterdam in 2 Minutes
    • Trio
    • Ankie Doubled
    • Ankie B&W&R
    • Projecting Shunga
    • Portraits in Ten
    • Chained
    • The Bollenstreek Flower Parade
    • The Muse
    • Jumpin' at the Lido
    • Sliced
    • Horror Story
    • Nadia
    • Highlights
    • Festival Time
    • The Līgatne Paper Mill
    • Gaudeamus 2022
    • Jāņi
    • Behind Glass
    • Trystdom
    • Woodstock on the Water
    • The Juggler
    • Projecting Nicky
    • fête
    • Marché
    • Unnatural Disasters
    • Shadows
    • Leading Lines
    • Y.T.
    • Bear Skin
    • Dash of Color
    • Window Frame
    • Afternoon Delight
    • Ameria
    • You Win Again
    • Projecting Ameria
    • Not Your Plaything
    • Mourners and Swimmers
    • Antonyms and Synonyms
    • Dread Queen
    • Wicca and the Alphabet of Love
    • The Chat
    • Phantom Body
    • Happy Faces
    • Down and Out
    • AI Blue
    • Warming Up
    • Long Legs
    • Ellen
    • Autumn Leaves Bodyscapes
    • Shopping with Spike
    • Leaf Me Be/Travel Pics
    • Baking
    • Life Is
    • Both Sides Now
    • Is There Anybody Here
    • Amie
    • Till Victory
    • Tight Rope
    • Big Yellow Taxi
    • Graceland
    • Racetrack in France
    • Bloody Motherfucking Asshole
    • Naima
    • Found Me Somebody
    • Angel from Montgomery
    • Moondance
    • Sammy's Song
    • Into the Mystic
    • Bertha
    • Baltimore
    • No Other Love
    • Cantaloupe Island
    • You Can Leave Your Hat On
    • Don't Smoke in Bed
    • Country Road
    • Hallelujah
    • Song for my Father
    • Yuma
    • She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
    • Ain't No Sunshine
    • Go Down Moses
    • God Only Knows
    • Come Together
    • Treme
    • (Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
    • Sunshine, Superman
    • Spoonful
    • Summertime
    • Rhapsody in Blue
    • Gender Wayang
    • Old Man
    • The Motorcycle Song
    • Boots of Spanish Leather
    • Big in Japan
    • Satisfaction
    • Paris, Texas
    • Here Comes the Sun
    • What a Wonderful World
    • Trouble
    • Waitin' Around to Die
    • What the World Needs Now is Love
  • Stories
  • Contact

The Muse 

What were they thinking?

A muse is someone who gives an artist ideas or a desire to create a work of art. In Greek and Roman mythology, the "muses" were the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. They were the inspirational goddesses of the sciences, literature, and the arts, and they were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the works of art that were carried down from generation to generation. In the modern world, an artist's muse might be acknowledged, but generally, it is the artist that is accorded full credit for the artwork they've created. Often the relationship between the muse and the artist is emotionally charged, creative and tumultuous.

The inspiration for this rethinking of the role of muses came from a visit to the Mondrian House in Amersfort. In that museum, there is a life-size replica of Mondrian's atelier in Paris. Over Mondrian's bed were photos of a half-dozen nude French women from the Folies Bergère. It struck me that Mondrian, who was quite the lady's man in his day, was most likely thinking about these "muses" as he painted his geometric masterpieces. That made me think---wouldn't it be marvelous if one could take a photograph of what was actually going through Mondrian's mind as he painted Broadway Boogie Woogie? Of course, it is impossible to take a portrait of what is going on in someone's head. The best we can do is to imagine what that person might have had on their mind.

For this series, a model (and muse) Dierdre was requested to pose in a darkened studio while digital images of paintings from artists I greatly admire were projected onto her. The result is an imagined reality where Dierdre and the projected images collide and combine---where the muse becomes the canvas, and where the portrait becomes a portal into what might have passed through these great painters' minds as they painted their masterpieces.


If you'd like to see the full series, download the PDF catalog here. 
                                                                

Next series
  • Home
  • Dressed
  • Undressed
  • Redressed
  • Concepts
  • Tunes
  • All
    • Petanque
    • Les Joutes
    • Joy
    • We live here
    • Photos of others
    • Jazz now
    • Dancing the night away
    • Kampung
    • On Safari
    • 3 October
    • Fun Swim Run
    • Forbidden Pleasures
    • Garden variety
    • Outsiders Painting Large
    • Streetvew Weddings
    • Hanging out
    • Marching to prosperity
    • I was there
    • Groovin
    • Pokémon GO
    • Fooled me
    • Markets
    • In the bathroom
    • I am Sri Lankan
    • The haunting of Rogers Forge
    • My early years
    • Conflict
    • Let their voices be heard
    • Pure light abstracted
    • Chap Go Mei Zumba
    • Wild Tales of Serendib
    • HONfest
    • Homage to the Anatomy Lesson
    • Celebrating Rembrandt
    • Pride
    • Painting bodies
    • Landings
    • Mia
    • Less is More
    • Inked
    • Tattoo 2022
    • Noir et Blanc en Couleur
    • Girl and a cane
    • Poses
    • The bird people
    • Send in the Clowns
    • Picture Frames for People
    • Hold the Line
    • The Waking Hours Before Dawn
    • Bathing
    • 'Scapes
    • Ode to the Vegans
    • M in the House
    • Sofa Sofa
    • Big Fish
    • Lekker Lezen
    • Hands Off
    • Guitar Muse
    • Tulip Twins
    • Reflections
    • Bars
    • Bear Necessities
    • Sanity
    • Corona Spring
    • The Long Kiss Goodbye
    • Anahí: In the Wind
    • Sunset Beach
    • Projections
    • Anahí: Recumbent
    • Projections Volume 2
    • Projecting Malevich
    • Projecting Escher
    • Projecting Skin Deep
    • Projecting Léger, Miró & Pollock
    • Projecting Decorations
    • Projecting Mondrian
    • Projecting Mandala
    • Projecting Illusions
    • Projecting Words and Bodies
    • Projecting Kandinsky and Rothko
    • Projecting Mondrian on Zoi
    • Projecting Real People
    • Endurance
    • Unsuitable
    • Stairs
    • Veiled
    • Veiled II
    • Fall Colors
    • Pulp Fictioned
    • Lakeside
    • Creation
    • Bed, Boots & Bath
    • Mask in the Mirror
    • Relaxing
    • Freestyle
    • Natural Light Portraits
    • Showerscapes
    • Unwrapped
    • Mirror, Mirror
    • Pieces
    • Projecting Nature
    • Projecting Origami
    • O'Keeffe Reimagined
    • The Rolling Stones' Tongue
    • Repetition
    • Minding the Store
    • Lovebirds
    • Greece 1973
    • Bouzigues Remembered
    • Murals
    • Blond on Blond
    • Splatter
    • Hot & Cold
    • Stay-at-Home
    • That Scene
    • Dafne in the Mirror
    • Dafne on the Vine
    • Outtakes
    • Headshots
    • 3-6-9
    • Underground
    • Wild Thing
    • Eye of the Beholder
    • Tulip Arrangements
    • Projecting Kate Ri
    • Expressions
    • Ghosts
    • Carrot-top
    • Camouflage
    • Digital Waves
    • The English Sailor
    • Windy Beach Night
    • Quiet Hours
    • Cloud Illusions
    • Big Fish Selfies
    • Dreamcards
    • After
    • Burlesque
    • Unmute Us
    • Natural Beauties
    • Backlit
    • Ankie
    • Joiners
    • Projecting Van Gogh
    • Covering up
    • Lines and Curves
    • Lobster Time
    • Home Decorations
    • Clawin' to the Top
    • A Helping Hand
    • Fireworks
    • Lockdown
    • Meshed Up
    • Cheaper by the Dozen
    • Dubai Colorscrapers
    • Dubai Colorscrapers
    • Sparkle
    • Parking Lot
    • Lounging
    • Me and Me
    • Projecting Impressionism
    • Projecting Dubuffet
    • Portraits of Manya
    • Amsterdam in 2 Minutes
    • Trio
    • Ankie Doubled
    • Ankie B&W&R
    • Projecting Shunga
    • Portraits in Ten
    • Chained
    • The Bollenstreek Flower Parade
    • The Muse
    • Jumpin' at the Lido
    • Sliced
    • Horror Story
    • Nadia
    • Highlights
    • Festival Time
    • The Līgatne Paper Mill
    • Gaudeamus 2022
    • Jāņi
    • Behind Glass
    • Trystdom
    • Woodstock on the Water
    • The Juggler
    • Projecting Nicky
    • fête
    • Marché
    • Unnatural Disasters
    • Shadows
    • Leading Lines
    • Y.T.
    • Bear Skin
    • Dash of Color
    • Window Frame
    • Afternoon Delight
    • Ameria
    • You Win Again
    • Projecting Ameria
    • Not Your Plaything
    • Mourners and Swimmers
    • Antonyms and Synonyms
    • Dread Queen
    • Wicca and the Alphabet of Love
    • The Chat
    • Phantom Body
    • Happy Faces
    • Down and Out
    • AI Blue
    • Warming Up
    • Long Legs
    • Ellen
    • Autumn Leaves Bodyscapes
    • Shopping with Spike
    • Leaf Me Be/Travel Pics
    • Baking
    • Life Is
    • Both Sides Now
    • Is There Anybody Here
    • Amie
    • Till Victory
    • Tight Rope
    • Big Yellow Taxi
    • Graceland
    • Racetrack in France
    • Bloody Motherfucking Asshole
    • Naima
    • Found Me Somebody
    • Angel from Montgomery
    • Moondance
    • Sammy's Song
    • Into the Mystic
    • Bertha
    • Baltimore
    • No Other Love
    • Cantaloupe Island
    • You Can Leave Your Hat On
    • Don't Smoke in Bed
    • Country Road
    • Hallelujah
    • Song for my Father
    • Yuma
    • She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
    • Ain't No Sunshine
    • Go Down Moses
    • God Only Knows
    • Come Together
    • Treme
    • (Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
    • Sunshine, Superman
    • Spoonful
    • Summertime
    • Rhapsody in Blue
    • Gender Wayang
    • Old Man
    • The Motorcycle Song
    • Boots of Spanish Leather
    • Big in Japan
    • Satisfaction
    • Paris, Texas
    • Here Comes the Sun
    • What a Wonderful World
    • Trouble
    • Waitin' Around to Die
    • What the World Needs Now is Love
  • Stories
  • Contact