ABOUT THE WORK

At first look, “The Minotaur’s Muse” recalls the popular movie Beauty and the Beast which focuses on the relationship between the Beast, a prince who is magically transformed into a monster as punishment for his arrogance, and the belle, a beautiful young woman whom he imprisons in his castle. The elements of night and day are present, what with the small crescent moon in the background. The subjects charm the eye and rattle the thought. While the writer of fantasy can advantageously develop an atmosphere of mystery or dream slowly, the artist-painter must set the fantasy scene all at once in each image, and Marcel Antonio’s work still belongs to an unrestrained, non-literary approach in storytelling and subtly implied narrative with humans playing the pivotal roles. It is a mature work that could vividly stir the young at heart. Add a nude woman to the Minotaur holding a lyre and it is another dimension altogether, and it’s not a parallel universe. Compared to Marcel Antonio’s other works, this scene has a lighter touch, yet it is completely transporting, a whimsical world unto itself. According to Marcel, although his works’ themes vary from time to time, he derives most of his inspiration from mythologies. "Myth can be anything, just like what Joseph Campbell enunciated in ‘The Power of Myth,’ where he discussed comparative mythology and the continuing role of myth in human society."