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All Women Are Daphne is the installation piece I created for an invitational fiber exhibition, Poetic Cloth, at Hannan Center, Kayrod Gallery, curated by Najma Wilson and Richard Reeves, Jr.. Measuring 9 ft. x 8 ft. it is the largest installation I have created and took over a month of 6-10 hour days to execute. I hired a studio assistant for the first time. Elaine Ltief cut 90% of the paper leaves and glued some of the base leaves onto the satin ribbon I used to carry the garlands. She also volunteered to help with the installation. Bob D'Aoust provided the wood frame and hauled buckets of approximately 150# of river rock into the gallery for me and helped arrange them. Even with careful planning, we did experience a few glitches but were able to resolve them on site.
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Hope you can come to the opening or at least see the exhibition over the next two months.
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Daphne is a beautiful river nymph in Greek mythology who only wants to live in the forest. Trouble begins when Apollo, son of Zeus, mocks Eros’ abilities as an archer. Eros knows that Apollo desires Daphne and retaliates by shooting a gold arrow into the heart of Apollo which enflames that desire and a lead arrow into Daphne’s heart which makes her reject Apollo’s advances. Apollo relentlessly pursues Daphne.
Daphne flees and appeals to her father, Peneus, the River god, for help. Peneus obliges by turning Daphne into a laurel tree! As a tree, she is immobilized, rooted to one spot. Apollo still desires her and lounges beneath her branches and exploits her by making crowns from her leaves which he bestows on his favorite artists and poets. Thus, mythology begets misogyny.
All Women Are Daphne celebrates women from all cultures and countries who are creative in surviving in a misogynistic world that is still trying to keep us in our place while exploiting our talents. It is made of paper leaves in shades of green and blue that represent Daphne’s transformation into a laurel tree as well as her prior existence as a water nymph. They are all hand-cut from templates made from actual bay leaves.
Over 670 names hand-printed on paper leaves in gold ink, honor women from all cultures. It is important to name names. Blank leaves honor women who remain anonymous or non-existent in historical records.
45 two-sided, stitched cards are named for women in my family or whom I have met. An image of trees or natural environments is collaged on the back to tie the card to Daphne’s story; the stitching on the front abstractly relates to the woman for whom the piece is named.
Preserved fresh bay leaves, embody the mythical, transformed, and immobilized Daphne. Each is hand-stitched and placed in the garlands to honor women’s handwork and culinary skills because we all stitch our lives together and feed our creative selves in all we do.
River rocks, in the frame below the garlands, represents the rivers and streams with which Daphne is associated. (The halo chandelier is the type of lighting at the gallery and not part of the installation.)
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Special thanks to Elaine Ltief, my studio assistant on this project for all her cutting, gluing, and help with installation; to Bob D’Aoust for his technical expertise and muscle; to Claire D’Aoust for being my sounding board. Thank you to Richard, Jim, and Michael who also helped with and recorded moments in the installation. To all the Daphnes in my life, you inspire me! Thank you.
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On November 14, 2021, I will be interviewed about my work by MetroArts, the Wayne State University PBS station for later broadcast.
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I have had the honor of being included in Live Coal Gallery's project: Aired Out Quilts. The project is a contemporary riff on the way quilts were used by the Underground Railroad to broadcast messages of caution or safety. I was one of the interviewees and told stories of our life in our neighborhood. April Shipp, a very creative quilter, was assigned to interpret one of those stories in a quilt. On November 20, 2021 the quilt will be installed on the front porch of the studio from 11 AM to 5 PM for travelers to see. Hope you can come by to see it!
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