Flying Fish and Octopus
Flying Fish No. 3
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Flying Fish of Crete
Inspired by a Cretan wall mural at Phylakopi in Melos, c. 1500 B.C., this fresco is a solid example of the Cretans’ portrayal of a marine life nature scene. The composition consists of fish with wing-like fins, gliding through the water amongst strange-shaped objects, which may be interpreted as floating pebbles, and rocks lining the sea floor. Other designs here may represent seaweed. The blue, yellow and white colors were commonly used in many frescoes during the late Minoan/early Mycenaean era.
Through a complexity of highlight and shadow, Bogdanoff creates a fossil-like appearance to his fish, which give the fresco a contrast of the free-flowing movement of sealife and, at the same time, the illusion that the fish have been imbedded in rock, frozen in time.
Octopus No. 1
Octopus
Inspired by the most notable of the Minoan pottery styles, the Marine style, Bogdanoff has incorporated colors similar to that reflected in his Flying Fish fresco. Here we see accentuation on the protuberant head, suction cups of the waving tentacles and the large gazing eyes of the octopus, while assorted sea plants float amid the creature. The octopus, a favorite topic of design painted by Minoan artists, mostly adorned stirrup jars.
