In the midst of judgment from her peers and family, the young Psyche seeks refuge in the arms of Eros. Eros (or Cupid) is the one soul that doesn't judge her because of her beauty but sees her true essence. Eros takes his chances in angering the Gods and puts himself on the line for their love. Persistently taking risks for each other, they ultimately win the praise of Zeus and Aphrodite. Psyche is transformed into a goddess by Zeus, relieving the common men of earth from her overwhelming radiance. It is with this victory that we celebrate their eternal connection and shared exhilaration through this modern rendition of the painting which I have named "Celestial Throttle Bodies". I created this work as an adaptation of the original painting "The Abduction of Psyche" or "Le Ravissement de Psyche" by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1895). My aim in this piece is to create a doorway to the gods of old through the lens of what we might consider as being gods today - technologies in particular. Any rider will tell you that there is a sort of exaltation and elation that comes with the experience of riding and beholding your machine (and those of others). It puts us in touch with something primal, and real - in a way that much of modern culture can no longer offer us. We can only hope that by risking our lives for passion, that we might once again reach out and touch creation itself.
