Labyrinth Trophy II (1996), a bronze, granite and steel sculpture by John Van Alstine, draws upon the classical myth of Theseus and his slaying of the Minotaur within the labyrinth. According to the legend, Ariadne, daughter of the king of Crete and a skilled weaver, foresaw that even a hero could become lost in its winding passages. She provided Theseus with a ball of thread, which he unwound as he ventured inward, enabling him to retrace his steps and escape safely after defeating the beast.

 

The sculpture distills this narrative into a symbolic assemblage: an oar evokes Theseus's sea journey to Crete, while the horns of the Minotaur rise as a kind of trophy. A subtle strand of bronze thread wraps around the horns, referencing Ariadne's crucial intervention. In this work, Van Alstine transforms myth into a contemporary visual language, using elemental forms and materials to suggest themes of navigation, peril, and the tenuous path toward triumph.