Of all the great works of art the one that best depict man in a
pensive state is a work by a guy named Rodin called the Thinker.
Everybody knows it. Everybody thinks it’s great.
But here is the question. Before Rodin. was there anyone out there
who also thought that perhaps was man indeed a thinker? And if there
was. as I suspect there might well have been. how was that man
depicted before Rodin came into the picture?
Ah. Another question for the turmoiled and disheveled minds out there
who lose sleep over these posers. But fear not dear souls. for I.
Benjamin… have an answer for you that’s better than valium. better
even than xanax … and tonight you will sleep the deep sleep that
comes with satisfaction and knowledge.
Shall we hearken back to an earlier time? AD 250 let us say. Ancient
Mexico. The Gulf Coast. Veracruz. El Tajn… a center whose name is
derived from the local god of storms. Probably the same god that gave
us Sandy. Not exactly what I would consider a benevolent deity. What
god would foist these things upon humanity? Oops. Better not go
there.
So. there is surmising that the culture of the day belonged to a
group called the Totonacs. an ethic people that still inhabit the
area. All just archeological that bears little meaning as
it relates to jewelry.
Well. let me emend a bit here. For those of you who know me. you may
have come to the realization that when I come across an ancient
doo-dad that I strongly favor. it could be a statue. it could be a
piece of pottery. it would be a dead tree trunk. I analyze it with a
tradesman’s eye. and I put a bale and a chain on it and color it gold
and make it into a pendant. ergo… jewelry. What is life. I ask you.
without a little fudging here and there. And I am a fudger of the
highest caliber… and proud of it. Good guys are only remembered
here and there. Scoundrels are revered all over the place. Chicanery
anyone?
Now then. after reading the above. there may easily be some of you
out there who start thinking about all I’ve just said. You will enter
into a pensive state. You will sit down and you will ponder. much as
the Totonacs of yesteryear surely pondered. And as you sit on your
carpeted floor. knees bent. arms crossed of your knees. head bowed as
it often is. you may well find yourselves in a position similar to
the one captured by an artistic craftsman of an earlier day. Back
then it was made of terra-cotta. Today I transformed it into gold.
justifying in my mind all that I do. Our Thinker is wearing an
elaborate headdress and strange rings around it’s eyes. Perhaps they
were the forerunners of today’s aviator sunglasses. Who know? The
Shadow perhaps?
That said. who wants to see our Pensive Man. far and away and easily
the early Thinker? You know where. www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down.
Left side. Tidbits. Click.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks.
Catch you all next week.
Benjamin Mark