Laura Allaben (Butler University Class of 2021) is a history and political science major, who took Dr. Kvapil’s “Greek Art and Myth” PCA course this spring. For her final project, she chose to focus on the myth of Daphne and Apollo. Below is Laura’s description of the myth and her project.
The myth of Daphne and Apollo is more complicated than the chaste nymph Daphne having an unwanted suitor. A less known, but key character, in Apollo’s love for Daphne is Eros or Cupid. Apollo’s pride and pestering of Eros leads to his retaliation in the form of a doomed love. Eros shoots the nymph Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneus, with a lead arrow that fills her with disdain for Apollo. Eros then shoots Apollo, with a bright golden arrow that causes him to fall madly in love with Daphne. Apollo pursues Daphne relentlessly to Daphne’s dismay as she wishes to remain a virgin like Artemis. Apollo almost catches Daphne when she begs her father to save her and changer her to destroy her beauty. Peneus hears his daughter’s cries and with his power as a river god transforms her into a laurel tree.
In my interpretation of this myth I chose to use the medium of Starbucks recyclables or trash. I collected my own cups and other materials, as well as my friends living on my floor in Resco. I chose to use Starbucks cups as the medium due to my personal interest in environmental sustainability. The amount of trash and waste generated by myself and others on campus from the consumption of Starbucks is huge. I used the Starbucks materials to mage a sculpture of Daphne that focused on her transformation into the laurel tree. I transformed unwanted trash from Starbucks into art the way Daphne transformed into the laurel tree to escape Apollo. I called this sculpture “Daphne’s Hope”, because like Daphne humanity can escape from the environmental degradation we have thus far caused by adapting our ways through sustainable practices. I also positioned Daphne balancing on a base, but deliberately not attached, to show the delicate balance between humanity and nature. She is also not attached to the base to emphasize that she is still in movement fleeing from Apollo. This is further shown with the white Starbucks cups that are meant to represent Daphne still in the flesh. She is mid transformation, half tree and half nymph. Her line is up and away from Apollo’s lyre that shows that she is still fleeing to emphasize the wrong that Daphne encountered. I pictured Apollo only through his lyre because I wanted to keep the tragic focus on Daphne and her loss of her freedom and life. Daphne’s attitude of loss and fright is shown in her face. I modified the original Starbucks siren logo’s face in her eyes and mouth to give her an expression that portray Daphne’s discontent with what is happening to her.
I greatly enjoyed the whole process of collecting materials from my friends, to making my actual piece of art for my PCA. Through this experience I learned a lot about what I can say and voice about my own interests and passions through art and the interpretation of Greek mythology.