Then I found something in the garden and I thought... yes... "But is it art?"
So here it is.
Just a lovely big old stone with some lovely big old snails stuck to it, bedded down for the Winter. I'm just in awe of how particularly beautifully and perfectly they blend into one - it's as if they're part of it, growing out from it.
I took all these photos at the same time but love the way the different angles bring out completely different colours and shades in both the stone and the snails.
The stone is now safely tucked away again with the snails still intact in the hope that they'll survive the cold, as I am stupidly fond of snails - and stones.
It is art, don't you think?
Yes. Why not?
ReplyDeleteWhy not indeed. I would love to see it scaled up to about the size of a large car and placed outside the Natural History Museum as a sculpture, one that people could climb on too, you could sit on the snails.
DeleteAnother project dream for another day!
Scaled up, would look like a Henry Moore sculpture.
DeleteIt would, wouldn't it? That must be what I had in mind - although subconsciously - perhaps that's also why the shapes appealed in the first place. Henry Moore lived and worked very near where I grew up and my mum, a big fan, was taught sculpture by one of his assistants, so I was very aware of him as a child. I didn't even think of that when I first picked up this stone but now it all falls into place!
DeleteI didn't have my glassed on when I first opened this post and at first I thought the first pic was of a walrus!
ReplyDeleteAs for your question "Is it art?" - It seems to be one of these situations where art happens accidentally and you have stumbled upon it and appreciated it. As for my thoughts, I'll be honest (as I think you'd want me to be) and admit that it's not for me as a piece of artwork but mainly in the same way I get troubled by some of Damien Hirst's pieces - I am not seeing the snails (which are beautiful I agree) but lumps and bumps. I don't know about you but as I get older, one of my biggest fears in life is finding a lump or bump on my person, so it freaks me out a bit!
Time to get this series going again though - I am the same however I have started a few now but they do slow up as time goes by.
From some other angles it looked like a monster's head with big bulging eyes so I can see why you thought of a walrus! Yes, I appreciate your honesty, I hadn't even thought of the 'lumps and bumps' aspect, it's interesting how things can be viewed differently by different people. For me it's the epitome of organic, and it was very tactile too, I loved the smooth feel of the heavy, solid stone in my hands and the comparitive delicacy of the snails, and loved the way they had this difference and yet still seemed to be all one form. A bit like delicate buds growing from a strong stem... or something. All sounding a bit arty-farty now but to put it simply I was just totally enamoured when I found it. Maybe you had to be there ;-)
DeleteComing up with series ideas is much easier than sustaining them but I guess it's always good to have a theme to fall back on, so I may have to go through the archives and revive a few, knowing I'll have a ready-made subject. Thank god there are no time constraints though!
To my taste, C, it's High Art!! The patterns in nature are unsurpassed by us mere mortals.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, anyone else hate those captchas? I had to work through four pages before I could verify my comment.
Glad you like it, Marie. One of these days (story of my life) I'd definitely like to replicate it as a sculpture. If not a scaled-up version as mentioned to Martin, perhaps a scaled-down version I could use as a paperweight.
DeleteThanks for your mention of the captchas as I thought I had taken them off the comment form, I'll check again and see if there's anything I can do.
Indeed for some reason it had reverted to 'word verification', I'd removed it ages so was oblivious to the fact that it had been put back! I've taken it off now. Hopefully will be easier now but if I get a load of spam I may have to re-think.
DeleteNow that's what I call found art. Anything we marvel at this long must be art.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely way of looking at it - yes, anything we marvel at - thanks Brian.
DeleteIf it wasn't art before, then it is now. Beautiful pictures, C. Sorry I'm late onto this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rickety Rackety. Always nice to see you, no matter when!
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