Inspiration: CLASH OF THE TITANS

As a child I had a prolific knowledge of Greek mythology. I was completely absorbed with the Gods and Goddesses, the heroes, the kings and queens. I was always preoccupied with the strong feminine icons within these stories. Aphrodite was my favourite Goddess because she was beautiful. I believed that Love was an all consuming, all powerful force, stronger than greed or sadness, and so to me she was the most powerful entity in the world.

Her son Eros I believed was reincarnated within myself. I believed that I was Eros in his human form. I had prints of cherubs in my bedroom that I identified with. Even from birth I believed I was ethereal.

My love of Greek mythology prompted me to absorb any film or television series related to it that crossed my path. One of my favourite film as a child was Clash of the Titans from 1981, which we had on another home recorded cassette. I preferred this to many others because of the strong, powerful female pressence within the plot.

It starts with Danae and Perseus being cast into the sea be her tyrannical father. This angers the Gods, and his kingdom is destroyed. Danae is not harmed by the storm. Mother is safety, Mother is strong. The prime villain of the piece is Medusa, a woman cursed by the Gods for daring to love the wrong person. She made love in the temple of Aphrodite and was transfigured into a gorgon (according to this version), an indescribably powerful adversary for the demi-god hero. The Olympians shown were mainly female; Hera, Athena, Maggie Smith as the angry Thetis, and an almost mute, yet nevertheless mesmerising Ursula Andress as Aphrodite.

Ursula Andress was beyond glamorous in this film, looking much the same as she had in Dr No, the James Bond debut, saying all of her two lines with great gravity. I have also since learned that during the film she fell in love with the young attractive star Harry Hamlin and the two had a child together.

Harry Hamlin was another early contender for my heart. He was so beautiful, so masculine, yet with such a sensual mouth and delicate curls. He has always been in the back of my mind when looking to cast male models.

Another element of the film which captivated me was Judi Bowker in the role of Princess Andromeda. She is a beautiful girl whom Perseus saves many times from various fiends. Despite playing the damsel in distress role, she has an air of regal dignity about her and seems powerful despite her vulnerability. At the end of the film, she is to be sacrificed to the sea monster and has to go through a cleansing ritual which involves bathing in milk. I now see this as a late 70s/early 80s way of getting more flesh in the film, but as a child it seemed to be the most magical thing ever.

I was so taken in by the last scene where she was chained to the rock that for months I would draw nothing but beautiful girls chained to things, awaiting their doom. This later morphed into Joan of Arc figures being burned at the stake.