Riding Hood Redux

Riding Hood Redux This artwork was created to be exhibited in tandem with the rewriting of the Little Red Riding Hood story. The three light boxes with translucent images on the front, are hung on the wall adjacent to each other.

Little Red Riding Hood is a story of a young girl who goes to deliver food to her ailing grandmother. While walking the forest path she is stalked by a wolf who Riding Hood befriends. She tells him of her plans and where she is going. When Riding Hood arrives at her grandmother’s house, she is greeted by the wolf who is disguised as her grandmother. He invites her in and proceeds to eat them both.

I decided to rewrite the Riding Hood story with three contemporary narratives.

In the first narrative,(#1) Riding Hood goes missing after she meets the wolf on the forest path. She never returns from her journey to her grandmother’s house. There is evidence of foul play at the house and her grandmother is also missing. They are both put on the local Missing and Murdered Women list, but their case is soon forgotten.

In the second story,(#2) Riding Hood is assaulted by the wolf who is a very powerful and respected leader in her village. She goes to her local authorities to report the attack, but they suggest she must have encouraged the wolf and they do nothing (not wanting to question the wolf’s reputation and philanthropy). Riding Hood is forced to leave the village.

In the final rendition of the story,(#3) Riding Hood meets the wolf and invites him in for dinner at her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother welcomes him but insists he must first help them with their chores. The wolf agrees and through the experience becomes a tamed and respectful companion.