Henrietta Armstrong
Medusa's Blood
130cm x 40cm x 35cm
Bio Resin, Pigment, Brass Chains, Brass ring, Brass eye hooks, Brass wall hook, Brass caribiners,
Value €18,000
-
Medusa’s Blood is a ritual object for a dying world. Inspired by traditional Italian apotropaic charms, such as the mano figa and corno, often carved from Corallium rubrum, the red coral of the Mediterranean, this work reimagines their protective power at an exaggerated scale. Glowing in coral reds and pinks, it hangs suspended like an oversized pendant or sacred offering. According to Greek mythology, red coral was born from the blood of Medusa, the Gorgon whose severed head turned men to stone. When Perseus beheaded her, the legend says her blood spilled into the sea, staining seaweed and transforming it into living coral. This myth ties red coral to both death and creation, a duality that lies at the heart of the piece. In various belief systems, red coral is more than decorative: it is alive with meaning. It is said to offer protection from harm, promote well-being, and guard against negativity. In some traditions, if red coral changes colour, it’s considered a warning, an omen of illness or misfortune. These beliefs imbue the material with a sense of urgency and power, further deepening its connection to themes of life, loss, and transformation. Drawing on these histories and associations, Medusa’s Blood evokes the contradictory beauty and devastation of coral reefs under threat. As the Great Barrier Reef fades to white through bleaching and death, the charms become relics, symbols of protection, grief, and feminine fury. Part shrine, part fossil, the work asks what we are trying to preserve, and what we are already mourning. It is a spell for the reef, and a curse for the forces undoing it.
