Seeding Mermaids (k), 1987 (print 1998)

Circles, rings, hair, scalps, and braids are among the shapes and objects featured prominently in Tunga’s work. This highly personal, interconnected cosmology of symbols that the Brazilian artist developed draws inspiration from folklore, mythology, and poetry as well as archeology, philosophy, and psychology. Seeding Mermaids documents an enigmatic performance Tunga staged on a beach near Rio de Janeiro in 1987. In the photographs Tunga is seen walking on the beach, where he discovers a cast of his head with extremely long hair. The artist vigorously swings the head around before throwing it back into the sea. In these double self-portraits, the severed head recalls the classical Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa, with the artist playing both roles, as well as the seduction of sirens who lured sailors to their deaths.