Daphne & apollo
materials: Bronze, Wood and Granite
This piece is a re-imagination of the tale of Daphne’s escape from Apollo’s rapture as she gets transformed into a Laurel Tree. It’s one of the only times a human was ever able to successfully escape the will of the Gods. Daphne’s fate may not be what most would call a success, but for her, I believe it was. (While the tree is not authentically a Laurel Tree, a wreath of Laurel adorns Apollo’s head in honor to it.)
Because Daphne has been depicted as already been transformed into a tree, we have to discover the story based on what we can see, or not see, in Apollo. He is consumed by RAGE at his failure to acquire the object of his desire, and thus, he has also lost his composure. He is caught in a state of transformation and flaccidity. His masculine nature has been challenged and defeated, something this God has never experienced before. And so, he grapples with Daphne in a vain attempt to revert her transformation through sheer force and fury. This defeat will haunt him forever.