Susan Madsen

The inspiration for "A Harrowing of Hell" is the ancient Sumerian tale of Inanna's Descent into the Underworld. A story of death and renewal, it is believed to track the journey of Inanna (Venus) from morning star to evening star. The tale of her descent is the first in a long line of myths in this motif: from the Greek Persephone to the fairy tale heroines who encounter the Baba Yaga. Her descent myth is but one of her many exploits; a fertility goddess, Inanna wore her sexuality on her sleeve and the poems written in her voice provide a bold, outspoken tribute to desire. Incorporating fragments of these ancient poems was where the work began.

On her descent, Inanna passes through seven gates, each representing a heavenly body: Venus and the "wanderers" with whom she conjuncted on her passage from morning star to evening star - Moon, Mercury, Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Using various materials including encaustic, ash, lead, copper, iron and oil paint, artist Susan Madsen manipulates planetary and cosmological symbolism to create this modern harrowing, capturing both its sensual and terrifying nature. Elizabeth Dancoes' rendition of the poem is painted, scratched, melted and rubbed into the paintings - interpretation held in a suspension with image.

This work's exploration of cycle embraces both the agony of decline and the possibility of rebirth. We offer a narrative that seeks to connect with the astronomical, seasonal, transformational and psychological nature of the timeless, archetypal elements present in one of the first stories ever recorded.