SMALL CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

A list of things I think would make lovely presents this Christmas. Notice the three price categories with three suggestions each.

1. stellar pigment art on antique glass by Piera Luisolo €€€
2. adorable Bambi cuddly toy €
3. D.S. & Durga herbal perfume inspired by myths and rugged landscapes €€€
4. Nicholas Crane's new book in which he explores Britain's geographical changes throughout history €€
5. manually coloured digital print of one of my original illustrations, get in touch if you are interested €
6. orginal monoprint "map 3" by Paula Kempker aka uncertainplaces €€€
7. Iittala "raindrops" glass jar with lid €€
8. Skin Essence Organics nurture mask with only four ingredients €€
9. woolen socks by Hess Natur €

♥

HOW TO FUNCTION

Who do I hire as a math genius

between the two of you?
An impromptu interview
on the bus

I listen intently
to your conversation
free of prejudices my eyes could establish
was I looking in your direction

The one of you who sits closer to the window explains
to the other one who sits closer to the aisle
I have a favourite but there is doubt
in the voice of the girl explained to

Window girl says
Charlie subtracted sixteen from twenty-two
she herself subtracted six from twenty-two
that's sixteen

Aisle girl needs
explaining again
Is my decision made?
We have a couple of stops left

Aisle girl objects
it's a decreasing function
if one calculated as explained by window girl
it would be an increasing function

All wrong!
Doubt flocks around window girl
and shapes into clouds of despair
as trust was placed in wrong math

I could have helped you
but I forgot all
Shush!
Employers like to have the upper hand

I like your calm voice and your modesty
you're hired
welcome to the team
you start on Monday

In the meantime
while I exit the bus

do not forget

how to function

TAXIDERMY IN ART & DESIGN

Watching Polly Morgan peel away the outer skin of a black bird is mesmerizing and disturbing at the same time. Morgan operates in a quick but precise way. Each step has been repeated many times before. Eventually, she pulls the skin back over some filling material, fashioning it with a new feather coat. The dead bird is whole again. At least that is what the deceiving appearance suggests.

     Artist Polly Morgan handles dead birds (and other animals) for a living; as does jewellery designer Tessa Metcalfe, who casts rings and other adornments from pigeon claws. Taxidermy can be a questionable business, but Morgan and Metcalfe state they only use animals which died from natural causes. Ethically, this is the only right way to approach the topic.

     My fascination for their work may stem from the human "bird envy" which Morgan mentions in the "What Do Artists Do All Day?" series. However, one cannot overlook the fact that in their skilled hands, the dead birds transform into something bigger, more beautiful, more meaningful. They are given a life after death.

     The bit I feel ambivalent about is when Morgan claims to use "a material like any other". Initially, I wanted to disagree. It felt disconcerting when she casually pulled her fridge drawers open, handling the animals like objects. But one also gets a sense of the psychological impact the work has had on her when she talks about vulnerability, fragility and being able to "visualize what is under the skin." For this not to intervene with the process, a routine helps. And a routine may generalize for the sake of art lending meaning to life.