The Eternal City

This collage envisions ‘The Eternal City’ of Rome by framing it through the all-seeing eye at the apex of Piranesi’s ‘Pyramid of Cestius’, which gazes on past, present and future. Merging remnants of classical architecture with twentieth century Brutalism and sci-fi fantasies of futurity, Piranesi’s pyramid becomes a substitute for religious iconography, held in suspension between heaven and earth, while classical fragments from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel serenade the skies. 

As well as fragments from Piranesi’s work, I have also added my own, signature snippets from Hollywood’s vintage hey-day. Rome-related movies - Ben Hur, Sparticus, and Roman Holiday - sit beside the skateboarders, Sex Workers and graffiti art of today’s twenty-first century city. 

Fusing these rich elements, my revisioning of Rome is both modern and fantastical: a timeless dream of the city. The piece is made using vintage ephemera and archival inkjet pints, all hand cut and glued.

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