Research Entry #5
Reimagining Arachne and Daphne This week, my research focused on the Metamorphoses by Ovid, which features the stories of Arachne and Daphne. These stories are traditionally framed as tragedies of flight (Daphne) or pride (Arachne). However, a deeper look into the text and contemporary feminist critiques offers a much more empowering direction. In the standard telling, Daphne's transformation into a laurel tree is a desperate act to escape Apollo's pursuit. By researching ecological art and nymph aesthetics, I've found a different path. The main source of inspiration is the artist James Browne. Browne's philosophy is about creating a "positive and dreamy world" focused on the organic and supernatural (Browne, The World of James Browne ). My illustration shows her not losing her humanity, but attuning to nature. Instead of a terrified girl being overtaken by bark, Daphne is a figure coexisting with her environment. By foll...