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PictureBook – The Cruelty Of The Innocents – Muse – By Benamon Tame

We know that Benamon Tame is building up quite a cult following via his fabulous Column PictureBook with us and those fans and new ones will be delighted with his tenth installment to this series. As Benamon himself describes it: ‘As Photographic artists we do not just capture stories but create them, the journey behind and the image we present. PictureBook draws on Images selected from my own story series but will also look at the work of the other story tellers within the community’.

Don’t miss this uber creative article from Benamon, fabulous piece. Over to you Benamon. (foreword by Joanne Carter).

 

 

“Muse stared out into the dust filled space and waited for Grub, the sound of his scuttle beneath her pedestal and the feel of his lips against her broken skin.

In the distance she could hear the sounds of the Toy Room but she shrank back as best she could, unable to to even think of being amongst them again.

Loki had lost and was now banished to the corner.

Grub had told her over and over as he brushed what was left of her hair and made up her face. But it did not change.

She had ever refused a reflecting glass and held on to the memory of herself, Grubs words dressing her in illusion, adorned in his rose tinted sight. Held together so thin in body and mind, she could bare nothing else. She had held herself so high and fallen so far, her one hope that it might end and not shatter her all.

Powder covered her face and the wings of moths fell like the tears she could never have.

 

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‘The Cruelty Of The Innocents – Muse’ – ©Benamon Tame

 

Muse – once the newest and prettiest of toys, she was the first to suffer at the games of the others when the room was closed. She still tries to smile with what they have left her, and they still tell her she is beautiful, but the words now come from stolen lips and the smiles behind stolen eyes

Muse was one of the last toys to enter the Toy Room before it was closed. Her skin was finest china and her dress finest Parisian fashion but with the turning of a key it was all for nought. When Muse awoke she carried with her all the airs and graces of the stories her owner had wove around her. At first Muse had courted the eyes of the Toy Room with her style but the others soon tired of her and she lost them first to the kindness of Eloise and then to the cruelty of Loki.

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‘The Cruelty Of The Innocents. Typewriter remix’ – ©Benamon Tame

 

With cold and empty beauty her only companions, Muse was one of the first to catch the eye of Loki and fall victim to his games. What survived was barely Muse but in the moment of defeat she was saved by Grub.

Grub served in the court of Loki, playing the fool and all else that Loki desired, but took pity on Muse and was allowed to take her under his protection and save her from the hands of Syster or Babel as was usually the fate of those who lost. Loki gained another control over Grub and a further humiliation for Muse.

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Unrequited’ – ©Benamon Tame

 

Grub put Muse back together as best he could and now tends to her. Grub tells her of her beauty and all that might make her happy. Muse cannot thank Grub for his kindness for her old self would not have done so and that is the last portion of her old self that remains. So she smiles with what they left her with and watches her memories with borrowed eyes.

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‘The Cruelty Of The Innocents. Red Muse’ – ©Benamon Tame

 

The name for Muse is taken from Greek Mythology, The Muses were nine ( though some stories number them three or four) Goddesses of inspiration of the arts, science and literature. Muse was an inspiration for the toy room but her vanity hid her insecurity and shallowness.Broken by Loki, she became not only the Muse for Grub but also a salvation for him. She represents all that he did wrong or allowed to happen under Loki, in caring for her he can make some amends and maybe they can find themselves in each other.

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‘Muse 1’ – ©Benamon Tame

 

I posted the story of Grub a couple of weeks ago and had intended to follow up with Muse but held back because i wasn’t sure about the image. I had a couple of other toys i needed to get out of my head so put Muse to one side and promised to come back. The initial concept of the toy room was of vintage toys, a victorian/edwardian with the pieces holding that other aesthetic. The base toy for Muse was one of my daughters Barbie heads (the big ones for doing their hair) and as much as i altered it i still felt it did not hold that aesthetic. As I have carried on with the series I have been able to draw more on my own vintage dolls (!) and after several dead ends had a new Muse. I have included my first Muse and the almost…

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‘Muse Almosts’ – ©Benamon Tame

 

Apps Used: Juxtaposer. Iris Photosuite, Pictureshow, Blender, BlurFX, Diptic, Snapseed, Lo-Mob, ScratchCam

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Benamon is a UK based Photographer, iPhone photographer, writer and Gothic Surrealist. His work has been featured on iPhone photgraphy websites and blogs of note. International Galleried artist including the Mobile Photography Awards 2012, the International iPhoneography Show, LA Mobile Arts Festival 2012 and most recently the Light Impressions at Art Basel Miami.

2 Comments

  • Catherine

    Oh! I so look forward to each edition! Another sad tale…but tender and sweet with Grub caring for Muse. I agree that your original muse wasn’t quite the right “girl”, and really love the final piece.

    Great work again Benamon! Thank you!

    • Benamon Tame

      Thank you Catherine, your support is always appreciated! I am much happier with the new Muse, though Grub has to hop more to get to this one!