Venetian Rumor

Venetian Rumor

The Story Behind the Sculpture

People have acknowledged the power of rumor for thousands of years.

As early as around 20 B.C.E., Virgil recognizes rumor in The Aeneid as a “monster, vast and terrible, fleet-winged and swift-footed…who for every feather on her body has as many watchful eyes below… [and flies while] singing fact and fiction alike”.

Sometimes a weapon of deception, other times a harbinger of truth, rumor is as much a part of humanity as the emotions that fuel it.

The power of rumor took on a new dimension in 2016 as phrases like “fake news” and “alternative facts” entered the collective vocabulary of countries across the world.

Fueled by that evolution, Venetian Rumor examines the relationship between rumors and the political sphere, reimagining the winged creature of The Aeneid.

It references the visual culture of Venice, which possessed a complex political system shaped by the enigmatic culture of the masquerade when it was the center of the Venetian Republic.

In Venetian Rumor, I explore the idea that the force of rumor can turn a lie into a truth, and render a truth a lie.

Recipient of:

East Bay Clay Juror’s Award in 2019 California Clay Competition

Expressions of Excellence Award at Northern California Arts Inc. and Sacramento Fine Arts Center’s Bold Expressions exhibition in 2017

$2000 — Please contact for purchase.