Eros & Psyche

To avoid the cliché of being unlucky in love, I find myself reflecting about the morals of this myth. Eros & Psyche represent desire (Eros) and the soul or spirit (Psyche). This work serves as an allegory about self-doubt (Psyche) killing our desires (Eros). In this allegorical diptych, I have visualized the climactic moment in the myth in which Psyche, awe-struck by the revelation that her spouse is Eros, is about to maim her husband awake while wielding a dagger, only I have reimagined it as a blade of psychic energy – essentially Psyche’s doubt embodied. 

This Greek myth parallels fairy tale lore and logic. Storytellers of narratives involving true love often cite Eros and Psyche as divine examples of a happy ending... However, for me, my soul does not desire true love as explicitly sexual as this myth presumes or insinuates. My soul desires freedom of expression without constraints, a chance to create something new without worry, and the ability to experiment and explore my heart’s desire. These longings parallel my goals to create work and be financially stable enough to feed my hunger as a professional artist. My soul’s desire is to seek pleasure through the act of making marks and creating work. 

Psyche is one of the rare mortals to ingest ambrosia (the nectar of the g-ds) to grant her eternal life. Though her family fed her doubts about her husband, Psyche ultimately suffered because of her mistrust. The mixed media butterflies that flutter from the midpoint of the work outwards serve to represent Psyche’s metamorphoses: both by overcoming her doubt and reaching divinity as the goddess of the soul with butterflies as her token imagery and icon. This work serves to enlighten you to confront your doubts before they kill your desires. These doubts cast shadows, sometimes shrouding our psyche in darkness; but by remaining honest (and essentially virtuous), you may reach the utopia that lies just beyond our self-doubt. 

Dani Papa

"Eros & Psyche: The Allurement of Self-Doubt"

Acrylic Paint, India Inks, Fluid Paint, Graphite, White Charcoal, Rose Gold Leaf, Steel, Aerosol on Wood Panels

96" x 60"

2023