Martin Firrell
The Great Heroes
2019
The great heroes in the works of
Homer
regularly express their emotions by weeping.

These portrayals of masculinity from Ancient Greek literature depict men as strengthened and fortified by their capacity to express feeling.

This work includes an image of
Eugen Sandow
the world's first professional body builder.
Sandow measured the proportions of statues in museum collections in order to develop his own physique to resemble the Greek ideal.

Sandow's face is obscured by the work's text indicating that it is the symbolism of the ideal, rather than Sandow himself, which is of interest to the artist.

This artwork is part of socialart.work, a mass public art project by public artist
Martin Firrell
calling for greater social justice.

It aims to create debate about power and gender, women's equality and masculinity, alternative forms of economic and social organisation, black power, and solidarity between people from different backgrounds and ethnicities.

It includes posters, publications and events supported in 2018-19 by the artist's residency with leading Out of Home media company
Clear Channel UK.
Part Of
socialart.work
Medium
Digital billboard
Displayed
UK, January 2019
Artwork
800 x 400px 72dpi RGB jpeg
Download
Hi-res image
Acknowledgement
A New Sandow Pose (VII)
Wellcome Collection
Residency
Artist in Residence, Clear Channel UK
Share