The roar of the engines
Slows to a stop.
Cabin pressure, once warm,
Begins to drop
Feet moving feebly
After the numbness on flight,
Shuffling slowly,
To the exit in sight.
Carousels, revolving,
Bags are not found,
Tempers are flaring
With the staff on the ground.
Glass doors open
To 6 degree air,
Marking the day
We head to the fair.
A group, once weary,
Is suddenly renewed
After having a shower
And getting some food.
A city so quiet,
So empty, so still
Is suddenly busy
As the show halls fill.
The buzz, the hype,
The things to be seen!
Thus begins Schmuck
Twenty Fifteen.
And off we go
In groups or alone,
Left free for a while
To simply roam
Through the displays,
The plinths, the stands,
Giving the attention
That jewellery demands.
And after we’d had
This really short gander
It was time to meet
David Bielander.
Bringing out forms
Of slugs, of snakes,
Showing us work
He artfully makes:
A cold metal python
Suddenly lives,
Slithering, slinking,
With the life that he gives.
It glints and shines,
Scales purple hued,
As it makes its way
To coil round Jude.
And thus begins
The very start
Of our questioning into
Contemporary art:
This serpent alludes
To furs, to skins,
Fashion’s past
And the ethics it brings.
This necklace, a play
On this history,
Seems quite clever
And witty to me.
Then we moved on
To his Smoke
Ring Machine
Which is something remarkable
That must be seen:
Open the door,
Place the bag inside,
Press the button
And enjoy the ride.
Springs and pulleys
Wheels and cogs spin,
It huffs, huffs, huffs,
And out puffs a ring.
It drops in the bag
And is suddenly sealed tight -
The contents which now
Are a mysterious delight.
(If you'd like to see
This amazing machine,
See Charlotte's post
Further down on your screen).
The smoke ring’s form
Cannot be retained,
Transient in nature,
Only memory remains.
The bag itself,
Is the only trace
That the moment
Ever took place.
Thus concludes
The first part of the day
With these things that took
My breath away.
But keep your eyes open
For tomorrow’s news:
The Studio Visit
To Peter Bauhuis!
Jessica McDermid, 2015.
This is so great!
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