This sculpture is inspired by the pivotal sculpture Apollo and Daphne by Bernini (1622-25) and specifically by the reading Griselda Pollock gives to the piece in her seminal book ‘After-Affects/After-Image’ (2013). Griselda describes her experience when looking at Daphne’s gasping, open mouth as if feeling within her Daphne’s soundless and desperate agony as a result of her body being in danger of undesired touch as well as transformation into a tree. I began to think about the female body as a site a of transformation and its connection to the cycle of nature. Both elements have been often condemned throughout Western history and positioned the female body as a dangerous, irrational and deceiving form that needs to be contained and restricted by society. In my sculpture, I recreate the position of Daphne in Bernini’s piece but remove Apollo focusing only on her body. It’s a dynamic, transitioning body but also an amputated one, lacking a head for expression and arms for touch and protection. This piece is part of my ongoing research into narratives of brutality and compartmentalisation of the female body in different narratives in Western history.
2021
tufted yarn, beading and wooden frame
170.0 x 70.0 x 80.0 cm
IP2122
Text & images © Anna Perach
Image of Daphne courtesy of ADA, Rome. Photo by Roberto Apa
Portrait of Anna Perach by Roberto Segata, courtesy Centrale Fies
Image of Daphne courtesy of ADA, Rome. Photo by Roberto Apa
Portrait of Anna Perach by Roberto Segata, courtesy Centrale Fies
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Daphne by Anna Perach
The Ingram Prize 2021
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