Daphne
Sculpture from a one-seed juniper which grew by my studio.
Juniper base fashioned from the trunk of a juniper
at least 165 years-old
Leaves are foldformed copper, patinated
28.5 x c. 9" including base
Private collection
Making art during the pandemic
On March 16, 2020, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered us to stay home. We closed our collective gallery and retreated to our studios. Suppliers closed as well. I wanted to make art, but could only use materials on hand. I decided to experiment with techniques other than fiber art. I’ve long loved working with wood, and local juniper has provided many a hanger for my silks, as well as a few small sculptures. And this also provided an opportunity to experiment with foldforming copper, a technique used to create the leaves.
This piece began as we pruned our juniper trees, some of which may well be over 200 years old. I save branches with interesting bends. This one came to reveal a human female form which reminded me of the Greek myth of Daphne, who was turned into a tree by her father Peneus to free her from the amorous Apollo.
Junipers are dioecious, meaning that each tree is either male or female. Male trees tend to grow long branches, the better to disperse their pollen in strong desert winds. Females seem to conserve their energies for fruiting, hence they grow more slowly and their compact branches are usually more angular and interesting. The base on this piece is mostly heartwood, with less than a quarter inch of sapwood ringing its 7" width.
In working with the base I realized I was holding part of a being which might be twice as old as a human lifetime. That is humbling. She endured decades of drought, punctuated by occasional years with more water than usual. This desert tree survived on between 8 and 10 inches of rain a year, reaching a height of 9 or 10 feet.
Pretty impressive.
Perhaps there is a “Daphne” in each tree... would our ancestors agree?