Muses 2018 - Designed by Susan Gisleson and Skip Stander
The mother of the Muses is Memory. “There is no knowledge without memory” (Max Frisch). The Muses are considered patrons of the arts but they are really patrons of the arts and sciences: Urania is the muse of astronomy- before there were cell phones there were stars and men used them to guide ships across oceans and establish trade routes. I consider the Muses patrons of knowledge. My favorite symbol of knowledge is the lamp. I wanted this float to be illuminated to demonstrate how knowledge illuminates.
The tree on the float is the tree of knowledge but instead of apples and original sin there are beautiful, succulent peaches. Even the bark has luster. The waterfall is mirror that will reflect the crowd as well as light.
There aren’t a lot of stories of the Muses exploits- the work and stories they have inspired are what is important. They have inspired some of the greatest stories: epics. “Epic is the antidote to oblivion”.
But we do know that they liked to frolic on Mount Helicon- specifically the springs created by Pegasus when his hoofs punctured the ground. This float is a combination of their origins as well as what they represent.
The Goddessey is a vessel, a vehicle which is both a means of exploration and pursuit- a method of transport between the real world streets of New Orleans and the mythical land that is Mardi Gras.
The design for this float has been in the works for years. The rubber duck floats came out of one of those meetings. Skip Stander, a manager at Blaine Kern Artists, designed the ducks and was instrumental in designing and building this float. He did all of the technical drawings as well as a lot of the physical work: building the boat, installing the tree, which was no easy feat- it is welded to the chassis, making sure the Pegasus was the correct angle, installing the peaches, etc
The name of the float is a play on the words Goddess and Odyssey. The Odyssey was one of Homer’s epics in which he implores the Muses countless times to help him tell the story. This float is our story of the Muses and the light they bring to the world.
Goddessey Article on Nola.com - Featuring a video interview with Susan