In the story Daphne and Apollo, Daphne finds her aggressive suitor repulsive and transforms into a laurel tree to elude him. Motifs from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, that includes the most famous telling of this myth, endure because they capture that moment between states, the fleeting state of being between one thing and then becoming the other. It is a never ending fascination to artist Camilla Taylor who uses the myth of Daphne to explore how we make ourselves from pain, how we make ourselves from the material around us. The centerpiece of The Forest is a repeating pattern of over 250 small ceramic sculptures, creating a dense forest of Daphne’s transformation. Taylor likens it to a three dimensional wallpaper.

In some tellings of the myth, the toxic aspect of some laurel species is highlighted to show the sharp turn of events for Apollo whose object of affection turns from nymph to poison. One of the plant’s poisonous substances is even named daphnin. The decorative aspect to the laurel leaves and branches hides its dangers: labored breathing, convulsions, vomiting, internal bleeding and death. 

Repetition as a motif is something Taylor returns to again and again. She says, “I think my love of repetition is from my training in printmaking, for which repeatability is paramount.” The representation of Daphne in art history is an oft repeated story, but also a frozen one where the nymph is pictured in the midst of transition to tree, a person forever part tree. 

“My bride, since you can never be, at least, sweet laurel, you shall be my tree,” Apollo laments. The largest of four sculptures is titled Memory, which represents the spirit of the forest and insinuates the pain of loss. The other three ceramic sculptures capture different moments of transformation. Taylor considers ceramic to be the ideal material for this series. Daphne becomes a plant. “I used some of that same material that she grew into, the soil, to create these versions of her.” Some clay collected from her own garden is mixed into the clay that she salvaged from institutions. Also included in the presentation are drypoint prints inspired by the Daphne myth and two larger sculptures that will be installed in the SPRING/BREAK entryway.

ABOUT THE ARTIST



Camilla Taylor is recognized for her monochromatic and intensely introspective works on paper and sculpture, which utilize figurative and architectural forms. Taylor’s artworks reflect the viewer’s internal lives as well as collective issues we experience as a society.

An accomplished artist exhibiting in traditional gallery spaces, she also creates installations in intimate and unusual locations, such as site-specific works in a swimming pool, desert garden, and other locations. 

Raised in Provo, Utah, Taylor attended the University of Utah and received a BFA in 2006, and an MFA from California State University at Long Beach in 2011. 

Taylor lives in Los Angeles, CA, with her partner and 3 cats.