Purple People Eater – 2024/5
Mixed media sculpture: Domestically-bred (arab) horse’s skull, a plasticised human skull, a bisque doll’s head with attached semi-spherical silver-metallic coated ball, a cowhorn, a leather belt and buckle, 2 x turned wooden spheres, 2 x marbles, pair of pince-nez vintage spectacles, 2 x Dos X (Spanish) beer caps, Industrial machine spring. H45 x W26 x D55 cm
The horse, a herbivore is here devouring a human carnivore. I have reversed their natural roles, whereby the carnivorous species is now the prey of a herbivore.
My intention is to raise awareness (in a playful manner) around the issue of the human consumption of meat, of apex predators (humans) and their sources of sustenance.
The resultant sculpture is a somewhat grotesque purple (Imperial) hybrid, which takes on ritual form with the addition of incised symbols. The human skull has age-old San (South African Bushman) markings incised as scarification. And on the horse’s head on either side a distinctly drawn peace dove – derived from Picasso. Not as distinct, but visible upon inspection, the markings of the I-Ching, as well as two “evil eyes” on either side – positioned at the front of the belt – which holds the herbivore-turned carnivore’s jaws together. The belt is threaded through a robust spring stand which acts as a spinal cord .
The symbolic concepts of predestination (I-Ching), Luck – both good and bad (Evil eye)), as well as a positive prognosis for the future (Dove), all part of the human condition, are now imbedded in this novel permutation.
An old golden pince-nez (pair of spectacles) are positioned on the human skull’s ‘nose’, symbolically indicating a level of scholarly intelligence. To counter any suggestion that we humans have, in fact, learned anything, the eyes are made from 2 beer caps with their brand logo ‘Dos X’ (2 X) – symbolic of the love of alcoholic imbibement. When both 2X’s are added, they = 4 X, an iconic Australian beer, suggesting a much-loved state of soporificity.
At the rear, the throat cavity has been reinterpreted as a birthing canal – the hybridized monster is giving birth to a hominid!
Quo Vadis – This is the stuff of myth and legend.
