About The Work
This small sculptural work from artist Joe Scanlan features a porcelain earthworm set into the top of a small, hinged box. Says Scanlan of the piece, “this 'boite' is part of a long tradition of small, hinged porcelain cases from Limoges, France, one of the world's great centers for porcelain production for the past 1,000 years. The boxes are seldom larger than 120 mm and are normally used to keepsake intimate objects and mementos. Boites are suitable for almost any subject, and one of the great attractions of their tradition is the challenge of devising an entertaining bestial scenario or trompe l'oeil on such a precious scale. Flowers, especially rosebuds, are common, as are many fruits and vegetables. The most popular subjects, however, are animals of all sizes, from elephants and tigers to bumblebees and toads. As far as I know, no porcelain artist has ever chosen to celebrate lumbricus terrestris, the common earthworm.”
About Joe Scanlan
From The Magazine
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- Interviews & Features: Curator Nicola Vassell on Her New "Black Eye" Show, and Why the Art World Stays So White
- Art 101: What Did Duchamp Do? A Survey of the Founding Modernist's Most Radical Artistic Achievements
- Art 101: The Secret Alter Egos of the Art World
Sculpture
Porcelain
5.51 x 1.97 x 0.98 in
14.0 x 5.0 x 2.5 cm
This work is signed and numbered.
About The Work
This small sculptural work from artist Joe Scanlan features a porcelain earthworm set into the top of a small, hinged box. Says Scanlan of the piece, “this 'boite' is part of a long tradition of small, hinged porcelain cases from Limoges, France, one of the world's great centers for porcelain production for the past 1,000 years. The boxes are seldom larger than 120 mm and are normally used to keepsake intimate objects and mementos. Boites are suitable for almost any subject, and one of the great attractions of their tradition is the challenge of devising an entertaining bestial scenario or trompe l'oeil on such a precious scale. Flowers, especially rosebuds, are common, as are many fruits and vegetables. The most popular subjects, however, are animals of all sizes, from elephants and tigers to bumblebees and toads. As far as I know, no porcelain artist has ever chosen to celebrate lumbricus terrestris, the common earthworm.”
About Joe Scanlan
From The Magazine
- News & Events: 6 Fake Artists in Honor of Donald Trump's Fake PR Team
- Art 101: Hans Ulrich Obrist on the Historic Import of AnnLee, Pierre Huyghe and Philipe Parreno's Self-Aware Manga Creation
- Interviews & Features: Curator Nicola Vassell on Her New "Black Eye" Show, and Why the Art World Stays So White
- Art 101: What Did Duchamp Do? A Survey of the Founding Modernist's Most Radical Artistic Achievements
- Art 101: The Secret Alter Egos of the Art World
- Ships in 10 to 14 business days from France.
- This work is final sale and not eligible for return.
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