"My design represents the paradox between desire and greed - more specifically, our desire to possess everything and anything, no matter how destructive. Inside the belly of the elephant, evil forces hunt these pure, majestic creatures amidst a tiny magical world. The frantic boat race through volatile waters is a desperate attempt to save the elephant and return it to the safety of home. The image of the princess is a symbol of the truly dark side of geed - an emblem of excess, consumerisim, entitlement and an attempt to attain perfection. In addition, the princess and the various images of idealized female beauty mirror Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. Through a series of life-threatening adventures, Odysseus yearns to return home to his wife Penelope. her image and memory haunt the moonlit waves and line the walls of the caves. I have entitled the piece Odysseus to explore this conflict and suggest a similar end in which the hero returns home to safety and reclaims his kingdom. So too would the elephant return and reign supreme once again."
