King Midas

King Midas: An Urban Rebirth depicts the resolution to the myth where King Midas treks to the River Pactolus to cleanse himself of his gold touch curse. Once there, he washes his hands and bathes in the river as the gold begins to bleed or seep from his body onto the riverbanks (and even the fish - effectively creating goldfish). Once reborn, his golden touch is reversed, leaving Midas to renounce his wealth and live a humble and grateful life among others in the woods.

For my narrative painting, I created an homage to the river where my Midas figure bathes in a river of graffiti marks and textured surfaces, instead of water, creating an urban rebirth that coincides with my aesthetic. The context is rich and reflects a moment in my life where I, myself, am experiencing a renaissance of passion, creation, and saturation. This rebirth is both conceptual and representational as seen with the array of gestural and visceral marks applied to the surface and in the many layers. In this image, Midas' golden husk is breaking off of his body, revealing a new man underneath free of his greedy shell. I also pay homage to ancient Greek mosaics with my application of the gold leaf breaking adrift from his body in shapes indicative of mosaic tiles.

Dani Papa

"King Midas: An Urban Rebirth"

Oil Paint, Aerosol, Galkyd Gel, Canvas, Acrylic Paint Marker, Gold Leaf, Liquid Gold on Birch Panel 

96" x 48"

2021