The ick factor is pretty high with this one.
"Icelandic fashion designer Sruli Recht had a slice of skin
surgically removed from his own belly to make this ring.
"After the operation, the 110 by 10 millimetre strip of skin was
salted and tanned, then mounted on a 24 carat gold band to create
the piece of jewellery, which can be purchased for EUR 350,000."
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep7zxq
Elliot Nesterman
Orchid
#2
From Charles Anderson
Different, but I wouldn't pay 350,000 Euros for it, and....
EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW! :-D CIA
From Helen Hill
The ick factor is off out into space with this, and the "piece of
jewellery"is hideous! Why would anyone in their right mind want to
buy such a disgusting "piece", with someone's hairy belly skin
mounted into it?! Truly horrific as far as I'm concerned.
From Audrey Morgan
ya, my creep-metre went all the way to eleven. ~Audrey
From Elaine Corwin
Good Lord! He couldn't have shaved first? /shudder
From Jo Haemer
Ewwwww!
And I'm not squeamish.
I'll never again complain about having to make Elks teeth jewelry.
From Andrea Krause
The first word that came into my mind on viewing this ring - was
repulsive! It reminds me of the villain in Silence of the Lambs -
very creepy
From rowan mcintyre
I wish I had never seen that. Or heard of it. I wish I had enough
"no" to adequately encapsulate that.
From gail little
I have to say, I have a very open mind, BUT the ring made me
nauseas. Perhaps if the belly hair was removed it wouls not be so
offensive. But still makes me a little sick to my stomach.
I hope he has good luck on this sale.
From Karen Lechner
Huge ICK factor!!!
I try to be open minded,! and I understand that there are all sorts
of tastes out there... but, ewwww! Just ewwww.
nick1
#4
Is the ick factor because it is human skin or because the "artist"
is so up their own backside they cannot see daylight.
To put it in perspective one of my ex-wife's relatives was made into
a jacket for a book in Buchenweld because he had a snazzy tattoo on
his back. No anaesthetic either.
Nick Royall
If he had taken it from his backside he'd have gotten a little
behind in his work...
Noel_Y
#6
I don't really know what your purpose was in directly reminding us
of the horrors that we all know took place during the Nazi era, but I
am reasonably sure that a large share of the reaction that most of us
have to the use of human skin in jewelry is exactly because of the
memory, however buried, of the reality of such atrocities. It may
have, in some way, been a reference for the person who created it, as
well. In fact, I don't see how it could fail to be, as I think there
can be few people on the planet, or at least in the Western world,
who are unaware of these types of crimes against humanity.
Although my reaction is just as negative as the ones expressed, it
seems possible to me that such a work might be intended to reclaim,
as it were, something that the Nazis took away from us all. My making
an objet d'art voluntarily out of his own body, he may possibly be
making a small step towards healing the wound inflicted on all humans
by what was done then.
Either that, or it is a crass manipulation of the viewer just for its
shock value.
Noel
Noman
#7
I lol'd.
I also noted to myself, in re Helen's comment about belly skin. it
coulda been worse. MUCH worse.
I shudder to imagine it.
Paf Dvorak
If he had taken it from his backside he'd have gotten a little
behind in his work...
I guess I'll arse no questions about that :-) CIA
Euro art - what can I say. The work on the page is all equally not my
taste - at all- That it is published makes me wonder if it was the
intention of the publisher to give this guy free advertising or
because its so horrid. the sales of more papers were part of the
decision. I can only guess this "artist" is new and sent out a press
release that they followed up on (did you folks realise you too can
send out press releases and potentially get some coverage?). I would
not call it jewellery myself- it's adornment but the types one would
guess would wear it, could perhaps not afford it. It is a conundrum-
literally and figuratively. I find the use of skin other than
leather (though I wouldn't use any bone, leather, or parts of any
dead animals in any jewellery I would EVER consider making) highly
distasteful and I suppose my age shows, but its all too reminiscent
of Nazi atrocities and for that reason would never even carry any
artists work in skin for that moral and ethical reason - just
horrible, just not for me. rer
Either that, or it is a crass manipulation of the viewer just for
its shock value.
I think that's the main purpose of the piece, the extra shock is the
price :-o CIA
Ok so I was grossed out too, but on second thought how is this
different that Victorian Hair jewelry? Perhaps this was his point?
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com
jkofoed
#12
I once madean ear cuff for a writer to commemorate the publication of
a vampire novel, with a human canine tooth and a garnet blood drop.
Finding a canine tooth in reasonable condition was harder than I
thought it would be- most dentists looked at me like I was crazy. I
finally found one who saved teeth for a dental school.
Janet Kofoed
I think its the attached flesh that is grossing most of us out.
And the picture was such a close up view to look creepy. Maybe on
someones finger it would look better.
Sharron
janetb
#14
Ok so I was grossed out too, but on second thought how is this
different that Victorian Hair jewelry? Perhaps this was his point?
Hair is dead (even when it's on your head)....Skin is (was)
living......
Janet
nick1
#15
Now, do you view it as jewellery or "art"? There are a few famous
modern artists who have done this sort of thing before and sold the
objects for absolute fortunes but at least they didnt claim the
objects to be decorative or for personal adornment. I suppose it is
the self-aggrandising publicity and price tag that I really object to
as the piece has no real merit from a decorative perspective and
there is little intrinsic value. Many cultures use scarring,
piercing or tatooing for body adornment but I cannot think of any
culture that would use their defaced parts as a method of trying to
earn huge sums of money via a press release. If it was self-reference
the "artist" wouldnt sell it so I think we are left with your last
statement as the real reason for its creation.
Nick Royall
Hi speaking of Vampires
a silver smith I know made a trophy for a sailing boat regatta for
boats called vampires.
He copied the boat and made the sail in the form of a bat's wing,
all in sterling.
Some people have all the fun and the skills to go with it!
Richard
Janet- Yes skin is the largest organ in the human body, but the outer
layer we see is mostly dead skin.
My late father was a portrait painter and professor of painting at
the University of Oregon. He used to tell his classes that when you
look at a pretty girl, every thing you see except for her eye balls
and teeth are dead.
Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com
