Homage to Poseidon

Having studied Greek mythology since a young child and spending several months visiting the sacred sites of Delphi, Delos and Eleusis with his fiancé Erika, Layne selected a site for his instillation on the island of Syros in the Aegean Sea, whose capitol, Hermopolis, was one of the main maritime ports of antiquity.  On a mountain slope above the sea at Galissas, Layne created a space of worship that included a large golden colored tubular flower and a primitive stone alter.  In a ceremonial performance, he adopted the role of king of an ancient island kingdom, paying homage to the God of the sea, Poseidon. The roles of the three Fates were played by visiting young European women while the accompanying music was performed by a man from Los Angeles. Besides fabricating and installing the sculptural environment, Layne created and sewed the costumes and wrote and performed the ceremonial performance.  The performance was videotaped and viewed by local Greeks, and a large number of visiting Europeans, Canadians, and Americans on the Day of Peace, May Day.

During the installation, the winds were so strong that the sculpture could not be installed. Layne promised to conduct a future ceremony to Aeolus, son of Poseidon and guardian of the winds, if he would still the winds.  The winds died down and the installation and performance took place according to schedule.

A year and a half later, back in Boston, the artist created and installed a three-part sculptural environment and performance at the Boston Center for the Arts in fulfillment of this promise.  In conjunction with the gallery exhibition of Layne’s drawings and paintings and a simultaneous outdoor installation titled Aeolus, Homage to Poseidon was installed in the cavernous Cyclorama as one of the artworks presented by resident artists for the 1986 “Within” exhibition.

Repeating the elongated processionary passage depicted in Greece, but without the fabric cover, this installation unites modern sensibility with timeless myth.  The white sand long entrance covered by golden arcs suggests ritual and ceremony while the overhead projection onto the alter and circular end point lends and ephemeral yet contemporary quality to the whole environmental sculpture.  As promised, Layne repeated the ritualistic performance to Aeolus within the sculpture where he played Aeolus, and three Boston dancers performed Aglala (Splender), Euphrosyne (Joy) and Thalia (Abundance) to the musical accompaniment of a Boston drummer.  The word HIERA, which is depicted thrice in the projected image, the jewelry created for the performers, and repeated during the ceremony by all participants is an ancient Greek word which as artist means our giving of our talents to the past, present and the future.