Saturday, April 07, 2007

Which Came First....The Chicken or the Egg?



I've been thinking about this artist book for months. I collected the chicken feathers last autumn at the South Carolina Fair and bribed Alex to carefully wash them months ago. I cut all the egg illustration out while watching television during Christmas. Yet, I didn't actually make the book until last weekend.



With no beginning and no end, it certainly doesn't attempt to answer the age-old riddle....but it certainly illustrates it...WHICH CAME FIRST?



The book was lots of fun to make, but something was missing when I finished. The center seemed so empty. So, I wrapped a cheap glass candlestick that had been part of my Blues Installation with several kinds of yarn and put a silver egg on top. My Dad gave this egg to Alex sometime last year. It is a sort of "worry ball" and actually makes bell-like sounds when moved. Still, this centerpiece needed more. I added the feathers Alex and I found after an ice storm. The poor bird of prey didn't survive the weather but his feathers have been put to good use. There's a possibility that these feathers are illegal...but we certainly didn't kill the bird. We just salvaged his plumage because it was so beautiful.


I will put this piece in the upcoming Artista Vista show in the gallery outside my studio. Alex will soon be creating a video.


I also finished the altered platter/book for the SC Aids Foundation charity event called Dining With Friends. It is a collaboration with Dr. Ed Madden. He wrote the four poems. I created the mixed media piece. He and his partner Bert came by my studio today to see the completed project. Alex will be making a video of it too.

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