Ganymede was once a Trojan prince who was looking after his flock of sheep when Zeus spotted him and thought he was beautiful. He came down in the form of an eagle to abduct the boy. He replaced his and Hera's daughter Hebe as cup-bearer to the gods with Ganymede, presumably to spend more time with the boy. Hera became enraged, so to protect Ganymede from her Zeus turned him into the constellation Aquarius.
I wanted to look at this myth and explore the problematic relationship between on sale Zeus and Ganymede and use it to describe the experience of grooming. The stars that make up the body of Ganymede as the constellation of Aquarius are now gold star stickers that teachers give their young students to reward them for 'good behavior'. Ganymede's expression describes the conflicting pain of abuse but also the need for validation that grooming causes.
Product code: Golden Star Boy (Ganymede) -- Aquatint on sale and Etching Print