Friday, August 29, 2014

STUPEFIED A VISCERAL RESPONSE


 STUPEFY

stu·pe·fy
-astonish and shock;
-to be filled with wonder, amazement and emotional ahh;
-something so beautiful it makes you cry.  



I need to start this post by stating that I have collected nutcrackers for as long as I can remember.  I love how these simple tools - with only the single purpose of cracking nuts - are designed into beautiful wooden sculptures of toy soldiers and local villagers of Germany. The intricate, yet simplistic, detail of each one - generally carved from one piece of wood - is astounding. The simplicity of the noses of those in my collection are of particular interest to me. I have found the toy makers that try to create a realistic nose, fall short of creating an engaging sculpture (even when the nose job is something a Kardashian would be proud to display) when compared to the “standard” crescent-shaped nose. A simple tool should be just that; simple. The straight line connected to the slightly curved half triangle seems to lead my eyes directly into the eyes of the wooden toy. It’s as if the toy is peering into my soul, waiting to serve me by cracking whatever I place into its jaw.

What makes this nutcracker so stupefying to me is that I feel the same feeling as designer Richard Seymour describes when he is shown the picture of the particular flower and butterfly (as seen on the “Ted Talk”). My showpiece is one made for me by my little sister - despite being a junior at the local high school - who has become a very skilled carver using only her pocket knife. As I look her creation I see a gift of love, time and joy she put into her masterpiece.
Its color is the same as a faded blue beach house; with close examination one can see the vertical grains of the wood. The ability to see the wood grains makes this nutcracker more unique than others in my collection. I love her choice in color, although blue is not a normal color for these little toys – usually they tend to be bright and vibrant. The surface and the color gives it an organic feel which modern technology cannot reproduce. The not so perfect finish creates a nice contrast to the soft cloth used to tie his coat. This nutcracker is one the most stupefying pieces I own; making my collection feel complete.

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