metamorphoses of eurydice

introducing my metamorphoses photography project. the back story... my university studies included two programs, asl interpreting and classical studies. in this classics program i was first introduced to the metamorphoses of ovid. reading his mythological poetry, its impossible for an artist not to have a visual inspirational overload. i've dreamt of these photos for some time, and now that baby is a bit older i've got the time to do it!

we begin with the story of eurydice

"the start was sad - and sadder still, the end. 

the bride, just wed, met death;

orpheus wept within the upper world; but when his share 

of long lament was done, the poet dared

to cross the gate of Taenarus to seek

his wife among the shades. he sang:

o gods who rule the world beneath the earth,

i seek my wife: she stepped upon a viper 

a snake that shot his venom into her 

young body, robbing her of years of life.

and now i pray you reknit the severed threads

restore the life - undone too quickly- of eurydice

they called eurydice, the thracian poet led his wife away

but heard the gods' command:

his eyes must not turn back until he passed the valley

just one glance at her and all he had received would be lost

their upward path was dark and steep

the mists they met were thick, the silences unbroken

but at last they'd almost reached the upper world

when he, afraid that she might disappear again 

and longing to see her, turned to gaze back at his wife.

at once she slipped away - and down.

his arms stretched out to clasp and to be clasped in tern,

but there was nothing but the unresisting air.

as she died again, eurydice did not reproach her husband.

one final faint "farewell" so weak it scarcely reached his ears

was all she said. then, back to the abyss, she fell."

(selections, for the full poem read from ovid, book ten)

thank you dawnika. this girl is actually a dancer too.

are you interested in making art and have long hair? you should contact me then, because i'm looking for long haired models and most of my friends have recently cut their hair. sadly.