As is often wont to happen as I traipse along through the paths of
discovery. I find myself occasionally unearthing something a tad
offbeat. But it ain’t jewelry, I say to myself. But in a way. I say
as a means of ultimate rationale. it can be easily and far and away
associated with jewelry. In which case I am–though a tad
obliquely–home free.
Allow me to explain. You’ve been sitting these past eons at the bench
creating such wondrous pieces as to astound the world at your prowess
and to have your followers elevate you to a position of royalty. You
have no peers. You rule–for the moment–in sublime confidence that
you will never be usurped. … when suddenly. in a burst of
unimaginable clarity. you realize that perhaps one day someone better
than you will come along. History attests to this possibility with
continual evidence.
An so. in order to protect yourself. you look for a throne upon which
you can place your derriere and lean back in the moderate security
and knowledge that those who dare trespass on your position of
exalted elevation will quake down in their slippered toes as fear
pervades the very core of their being at the sight of you.
You begin your research. which brings you via routes too arcane for
even you yourself to understand. to a Mozambican artist by the name
of Cristovao Canhavato (Kester). Ol’ Kes had been collecting
decommissioned weapons since the end of the civil war in Mozambique
in 1992.
“Transformacao de Armas em Enxadas” (Transforming Arms into Tools)
known as the TAE project was a vehicle by which combatants’ weapons
were exchanged for domestic uses in areas of agriculture and
construction and more.
And so along came the throne. a magnificent work of art born from an
arms trade of guns from all over the world. The throne consists of a
Russian AK47 rifle as its main feature as well as weaponry from
Eastern Europe, Portugal, and North Korea. This–my friends–is the
seat you want to occupy if you want to scare the bejabbers out of
friend and foe.
Kes was trained in technical engineering and had had no formal art
training till he was 32 years of age. And so. from an era born of
turmoil and strife there arose a philosophy whose aim it was to take
away instruments of death from the populace. at which time Kes
decided to give the world the same weaponry in the from of art. And
so he constructed a sculpture in the form of a throne as a symbol of
disarmament. Or at least that’s my interpretation.
As to the jewelry aspect of things. as a symbol of the highest form
of rationalization. I present to you the concept that tools are as
much a part of jewelry as is jewelry itself. and if there’s a tool
out there that might prevent territorial infringements upon the
jeweler himself. than that tool should … nay. MUST be considered
part of the world of jewelry.
By Jove folks. I think I’ve made my case. As an addendum… . for your
educational pleasures. I’ve included not only the Throne of weapons.
but also an annotated schematic of said throne in order to show you
the names of the disarmed weapons used to make it.
Well there it is folks. Perhaps not jewelry. But surely a tool to aid
jewelers one and all world-wide to protect against infringements
against noble and hard-won statures. Agreed?
And now. ta-dumm… the visit to the image. also known as the
viewing experience. You know where. Home page.
http://www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down. Left side. [Tidbits]. Click.
And there for your sensory optic pleasure you will see The Throne of
Weapons of a time lone past…
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week.
Benjamin Mark