I don't mean to imply any disrespect for Mr. Hummel's work, but a rough, textured treatment like the one used here is a great way to save a sculpt that otherwise wouldn't shine on it's own. Sculpting a figure isn't easy, and anyone who has tried doing it probably has an ample supply of less-than-stellar efforts produced during the learning process. Instead of rejecting them or hiding them away, why not embrace the fact that they're primitive attempts at capturing a more idealized version?
Most definitely agree. Very many Cthulhu idols are extraordinary pieces of modern fantasy sculpture, but don't at all "read" as religious artifacts carved in the murky past by primitive humans or alien beings.
ReplyDelete[By the way, I'm not still getting caught in your spam trap, am I? ;) ]
Yes, I do like the overall effect of the figure too. I would suspect it is a low-fire ceramic, typical of an early glazeless product. It might also be raku and the smoking due to the reduction pot or smoking due to a wood fired kiln. It’s a very nice rendition of a very early type of pottery. You might also check out some extremely early ceramics by the Jomon Culture of Japan for comparison.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with you guys. I prefer my mythos objects to be weathered, primitive looking artifacts.
ReplyDeleteA broken clay figure worshipped by insane cultist living in a primordial swamp is a lot more fun and evocative that a golden idol from the jeweled kingdom of Nya.
And its a hell of a lot easier to make too. :)
Thanks for the comment on my work. It's one of my first pottery works, but I only did ten or so out of boredom once, when I still studied archaeology.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually simple clay from a pond low fired in a wood stove. I experimented with high and low oxygen enviroments to test the things I learned in archaeology. This thing is now orange-red because I fired it again with a higher air supply.
Well I'm not an artist.