This is different only in scale from using a bit of meteorite in brewing beer, as an aphrodisiac, or when I included a fragment of an unclassified common NWA in my kitchen tile countertop. There is a long history of artists repurposing materials for their artwork (although the gent who ground up lunars to use instead of Viagra is stretching that definition); some are more accepted than others. I do agree that after such extensive manipulation the only thing that might be said about the material is that it was of meteoric origin.
Best! Tracy Latimer ---------------------------------------- > To: [email protected] > Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 13:14:41 +0000 > Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorite Sculpture by Katie Paterson > From: [email protected] > > Dear Listoids > > I make no claim to be an expert on contemporary art/artists, nevertheless I > have worked with a number of artists over the last few years in my role as a > mineral curator for the National Museums and this has allowed me to get a > glimpse of the way different artists devise, plan and execute their works. I > haven't had the pleasure of working with Katie, but I do know her and I have > met her and we have had some long discussions about meteorites and she does > feature meteorites and space in her work a lot. So I feel I ought to give my > angle on this as well as try and explain her work on the Campo using her own > words. > > The original concept was formulated in around 2010/11 and the finished cast > was exhibited in London in 2012. At about that time she gave an interview and > the following quote is lifted directly from the published article: > > "...The artist domesticates the cosmos' immensity: she gives the unfathomable > a human scale, putting it within our reach. "The cast meteorite will likely > be placed on Exhibition Road (close to the Natural History Museum) in a > discrete place, where people can sit around it and be able to touch it," she > says. "Most meteorites have been travelling around space for over four and a > half billion years. They are older than the Earth and are the oldest objects > on Earth. I like the idea of this vast cosmic history embedded inside them. > Melting a meteorite and reforming it is a little bit like compressing and > merging together these layers of time, history and space. Eventually I would > like to send the meteorite back into Space, though that might not be for many > years." > > Well the many years have now past and Katie has send the recast meteorite > into space. > > Hope this helps. > > Cheers > > Peter Davidson > Senior Curator of Minerals ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://three.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
