Olivia Sharpe's Design, Arts and Technology Capstone Research

Wrapping it up      One of the most eye-opening resources was Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes. Haynes argues that mythical women have been “edited, omitted, or reinterpreted to serve patriarchal values” (Haynes 8). Haynes examines how figures like Medusa and Arachne were originally nuanced and multi-dimensional, but later art and literature turned them into monsters or warnings. For instance, Haynes shows that Medusa was once a symbol of protection as well as fear (Haynes 133).      A recent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art,” also reframes Medusa not just as a monster, but as “an emblem of female rage and sorrow” (Metropolitan Museum). The exhibit’s curatorial notes and catalogue highlight how different artistic eras have emphasized either her terror or her tragedy, and how modern artists are now reclaiming her image as one of endurance rather than evil. Seeing these artworks ...

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...