Jomon Spider Kit by Paul March

A fitting tribute to Paul March’s “Jomon Spider Kit” completed in 2013 is that it is currently exhibited at the Ariana Museum.  The team from Talking Beautiful Stuff go to see it. We find a huge gangling arachnoid laying in a corner as if dead for weeks. “Wow!” says Angela on seeing it. “That is so cool!”

Ariana Spider 5

JSK is composed of smooth monotone clay and chunky stainless-steel links. The workmanship stands out. The authentic spidery whorls on its thorax and abdomen make for an appealing biological contrast with its metallic components. The whole is elegant but nevertheless provokes discomfort.

Ariana Spider 2

I want to pick it up and rattle the legs. I even house a tiny desire to return at a later date with several metres of fishing line to revive it as an enormous spider-marionette.

Ariana Spider 4

I am intrigued and somehow intimidated. I would like an insight into what was in its creator’s mind when he put it together. I meet Paul at his Geneva studio. I am surprised to see no other completed works there. The surfaces and walls are taken over by – for want of a better term – a variety of bits and pieces; they include recognisable parts of what might be JSK2.  It seems his creative process involves cycles of tentative cutting, moulding, building, matching, linking, pressing and melting.

We chat. He has a ready smile. This former clinical psychologist from UK came to Geneva in his late thirties. He studied fine art and developed a particular interest in ceramics. We chat some more. I ask him about his influences. The smile broadens and he laughs at the banality of my question. An hour and a half later I am no closer to an answer. The discussion has ranged from subliminal fears (arachnophobia?) to art as a Dawkinsian extended phenotype. I am out of my depth! Later, I confess that I have not grasped what his creative world is about and that it will be difficult to write about his work. He is delighted! He would have been disappointed if I had grasped it! Whatever is inside this extraordinary mind and the creative process it drives, it has produced JSK. I know I’ll never understand. But now that I understand that I’ll never understand, I simply think “Wow! That is so cool!”

Sun Yu-Li’s illusionistic bronze ring

Sun Yu-Li is a Chinese sculptor working with bronze. During a recent trip to Singapore, I stumbled upon Abundance III, one of his most famous pieces located next to Suntec City.

Sun Yu Li 1

Spotted from far away, the greenish and smooth bronze ring looks big, bold and proud. It is begging for attention. It wants me to come closer. To touch. To climb.

Sun Yu Li 2

But, something isn’t right here. For each step I advance, the ring becomes smaller, thinner and skewed. I snap some more photos.

Sun Yu Li 3

Sun Yu Li 4

Sun Yu Li 5

Sun Yu Li 6

I walk around, stop and ponder. Sun Yu-Li’s ability to simulate a three-dimensional appearance is obvious. Things aren’t always what they appear to be. I’m impressed.

Gold! Tutankhamun’s tomb and treasures in Geneva

On 4 November 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter found the steps leading to Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. This epic discovery sparked a renewed interest in ancient Egypt, for which King Tut’s magnificent mask is the symbol.

The other day, I had pleasure to walk in the footsteps of Carter himself and take a close look at a reproduction of the burial mask and all other stuff retrieved from the almost intact tomb. “Tutankhamun – his tomb and his treasures” is a spectacular, must-see exhibition in Geneva.

Toutankhamon 1

Google tells me that Tut’s mask was believed to strengthen the spirit of the mummy and guard the soul from evil spirits on its way to the afterworld. Made of gold and gems, the mask shows the stylized features of the ancient ruler. What a jaw-dropping piece of beautiful stuff.

Besides the mask, Carter found gold. Tons of gold. Among my favorite items is a flock of bizarre and mean-looking creatures protecting the pharaoh. Though being replicas, these little fellas are full of life and seem to be following every step I take. Goosebumps!

Toutankhamon 2

Toutankhamon 3

Toutankhamon 4

Unfortunately, we will never know much about the craftsmen who decided to (or were forced to) dedicate their lives to creating these extraordinary items. The “who” of this Talking Beautiful Stuff post therefore remains unknown. But that doesn’t matter much.

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is a fascinating story in itself. It’s about passion. It’s about the unknown. It’s about adventure. I left the exhibition pondering over what people digging out the leftovers of today’s civilization will think. I doubt they’ll be impressed.

You can explore the tomb of Tutankhamun in Geneva until 12 January 2014. You will not be disappointed. Voici une petite pub pour les francophones qui suivent le blog !