Dante's Inferno: A modern illumination

This body of work is a visual translation of Dante's Inferno through the use of appropriated imagery focusing on the ideas of influence, gratitude and homage. This thesis is a combination of my own digital montages inspired by Dante's Inferno physically represented in the medium of color-semitransparent prints accompanied by a written exploration of the methodology and symbolism employed by Dante in the construction of his Inferno, the first third of his masterwork the Commedia. The written portion begins with a brief general overview of Dante's unique inspirational position in history and the continuing influence Dante's Inferno has had on the visual arts since its creation nearly six hundred and ninety-six years ago. Each of the following sections of the written portion address Dante's own unique symbolic recipe (as interpreted by Dantean scholars) for the corresponding elements and characters for which each section is titled. Thusly, the section entitled Canto I begins with an explanation of popular scholarly belief about the symbolic nature of the characters and elements we are introduced to in Canto I of the Inferno. Each of the following sections of the written portion are structured in a similar manner, a scholarly view-point accompanied by my own brief explanation of the analogous relationship between the scholarly views and my own methods of image selection and construction. Additional exploration of analogous thought processes have been inserted where needed to more fully explain the reasoning behind my own philosophical and structural choices in image construction.