“There remained but little more to climb till they would touch earth’s surface, when in fear he might again lose her, and anxious for another look at her, he turned his eyes so he could gaze upon her. Instantly she slipped away.” - Ovid, Orpheus and Eurydice in Metamorphosis, Book 10

Orphic Cranium | 2018

The myth of Orpheus told through zoetropes.

The Orphic Cranium is a mechanical sculpture based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It uses 2 zoetropes and a praxinoscope to depict the pivotal moment in the myth, where Orpheus turns to look at Eurydice as they attempt to leave Hades.

The form of the sculpture is inspired by the version of the myth in which the Muses preserve Orpheus’ head after his death to serenade the living.

Team: Benton Ching, Flora Weil, Guillermo Whittembury, Keren Zhang