The Lack of the Father: Intersections of Greek and Israeli Mythology in the Photographs of Adi Nes

Perfectly staged photographs that dramatize mythological stories of the geographical and cultural periphery, to which Israeli society rarely directs its attention, constitute the essence of the “Boys” series (2000) by the photographer Adi Nes. This article examines how photography employs Greek mythology to stage emancipatory horizons for those oppressed due to their ethnic identity. By exposing the core of the Classical myths, the photographs reveal their continuing relevance, as well as their formative function as a source of meaning and interpretation, and as a medium for viewing and understanding modern and contemporary art.