After Aesop Series
By Christina Pettersson
“After Aesop” is a special commission project for this edition of Red Flag Magazine on the topic of Animals. Miami-based artist Christina Pettersson was invited to reinterpret four of her favorite fables from the Aesopica, the ancient classic written by Aesop, a slave and story-teller from Ancient Greece who is believed to have lived between 620 and 560 BCE. Pettersson, who often works with themes found in literature, placed herself within each of the fables. Through the vehicle of the self-portrait, Pettersson is able to enter the story and become part of its outcome.
The contents of this issue have been separated into four sections. Each section is punctuated by one of Pettersson’s four fables. The morals of each fable echo the themes brought up within the written articles that follow.