Tim Silver Untitled (Oneirophrenia) no 5

‘Oneirophrenia’ comes from the Greek words oneiros (dreams) and phrenos (mind), and means a hallucinatory, dreamlike state caused by conditions such as prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation or drugs.

In Greek mythology, the Oneiroi are personifications of dreaming: Morpheus, the winged god of dreams, can take human form; Phobetor appears in the guise of nightmarish animals or monsters; and Phantasos creates surreal dreams or illusions.

In Untitled (Oneirophrenia) no 5, Tim Silver presents a self-portrait in the form of a classical bust. He has packed his head with bread dough, which, as it rises, ruptures through his plaster skin. This unique form has then been re-cast in pigmented concrete and marble dust, transforming the material resonance of the object once again.