The Daphne Project - Curating project - The Printing Girls

The Printing Girls (TPGs) is an informal group of South African female artists who work in the specialised medium of printmaking.

We are a dedicated professional community, collaborative in nature, offering each other support and technical help with a spirit of generosity.

We are beginning to exhibit widely and are sparking interest on the local art scene.

The Daphne Project

In keeping with our main exhibition theme of Mother Nature in Monotype, we are revisiting one of the original associations between woman and nature - the Greek myth of Daphne.

In brief, according to this myth, Daphne was the daughter of the river god Peneus, well-known for her exceptional beauty. She had taken a vow of chastity to enable her to live in woodlands as a huntress and avoid the trappings of society and the restrictions of marriage.

But she was pursued one day by a lustful Apollo. Just before he captured her, in a state of exhaustion she prayed to her father and the Goddess Gaia – Mother Earth - for rescue and was metamorphosed into a laurel tree. Daphne subsequently lost her voice and the only sound she could make was by rustling her leaves.

Apollo used his power of eternal youth to turn the laurel into an evergreen tree. He broke off a branch and since then, a laurel branch is always associated with him in mythological imagery.

Like all myths, this story is timeless so still has many possibilities for a contemporary interpretation. To many, it may initially sound like a romantic though sad story. But although she remained forever beautiful, through Apollo’s ill-intentions Daphne became a woman with lost potential – no voice, immobile, unable to follow her passion to roam the woods and hunt. Recently, this myth has been picked up as a symbol for the #MeToo movement. This myth is particularly relevant in Women’s Day month when, alongside celebrating our womanhood, we are reminded each day of our country’s continuing plague of gender-based violence. This is an interesting short article on this subject: https://cannotbecontained.com/2018/03/12/daphnes-laurel-tree-and-the-me-too-movement/

Laurel Nobilis

Kim Lee Loggenberg

Renee Johannes

Love and Beauty

Ann Ludwig

Rooted in Africa 2021 Linocut 1/1

Fiver Locker

Daphne beyond the Laurel 2021 Linocut Edition of 8 (Print exchange project)

SanmarieHarms

Jose Vermeij

Hidden Beauty of Laurel 2021 Monotype

Donna Solovei

ElrieJoubert

Nellien Brewer

Daphne Project 2021 Monotype

Madelize van der Merwe

Nicolette Geldenhuys

Leonora Venter

Daphne…”

Theona Truter

Myth of Daphne 2021 Linocut with embossing

Mandy Conidaris

Daphne Suspended 2021 Watercolour monotype with chin collé frottage E.V. edition Edition of 8 (Print exchange project)

Vestige of the Mythology II 2021 Monotype with chin collé

Laurel Holmes

Mariette Momberg

Roxy Kaczmarek

The Feeling of becoming leaves –2021 Monotype

Lyn van

The Daphne Project Print Exchange

Some of the TPG artists decided to participate in our voluntary Daphne Project Print Exchange, and these prints are indicated in the catalogue. What is a print exchange?

Printmaking is the only art medium that allows artists to swap identical works of art with each other! And printmaking – internationally and within South Africa - has a rich tradition of Print Exchanges. There is often a theme, and for this exchange the theme is around the myth of Daphne.

A print exchange is a formal swapping process, usually arranged by a university, college, printmaking studio or collective. The Daphne Project Print Exchange was organised by Mandy Conidaris, one of The Printing Girls’ admin team members.

Here, 10 TPG artists created an edition of 8 prints, kept the A/P (Artist’s Proof) for herself, packaged the rest all up, and posted them to Mandy.

She took the first 5 prints of each edition and randomly constructed piles of 5 prints each.

Each participating artist will receive back a small pack of 5 prints by fellow TPG artists – yummy!

A good way for participants to build up a collection of small-scale artworks by South African women artists!!

Print number 6/8 goes into the TPG Print Archive

Only number 7/8 is available for sale via this catalogue or at the White River Gallery

Mother Nature in Monotype Exhibition

And 8/8 is held by The Printing Girls for future exhibiting opportunities.

Catalogue creation & copywriting by Mandy Conidaris