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2022, Echoes of the Classical World
Oimoi (For Jack), a lithograph by Sally Piller, is a modern depiction of the story of Xanthus and Balius, two immortal horses who were the sons of either Poseidon, god of the sea, or Zephyrus, the West wind himself, depending on the version of the story. Regardless of who their father was, both would make them incredibly fast. According to Homer’s Iliad, these horses were passed down family lines until they came into the possession of the Greek hero Achilles. Only Achilles’ longtime friend and lover, Patroclus, could truly control the horses and, when Patroclus died, the horses and grieved just as much as Achilles. It is this image that is depicted in Oimoi (For Jack). The Greek word “oimoi” loosely translates as the exclamation “woe is me,” which complements the content of the piece.
Though this is a contemporary print, Piller borrows heavily from the Ancient Greek tradition of black-figure pottery, developed in Corinth around 700 BCE. The distinctive black and red look comes from the technique of protecting the background of an image to protect it from the smoke of the kiln. Anything not protected would quickly become black from the soot.
Text by Adin Replogle, Washburn student