Nameless kings of nowhere
Bronze Series III introduction
‘There is no remembrance of men of old,
and even those who are yet to come will
not be remembered by those who follow’
From the book of Ecclesiastes: attributed to King
Solomon of Jerusalem (8th Century BC)
‘Who is spared in the end from leaving?
Despite all his gold and his jade,
is a man not bound to go there?
Am I a shield set with turquoise?
A stone secured in a mosaic?
Will I ever walk this earth again?
Will they shroud me in fine mantles?
Here on earth, I think of those
who ruled before me, as the place
of sounding drums draws near.’
From a song of Cacamatzin the Aztec
king of Texcoco (16th. Century AD)
A humble discourse on mortality and oblivion may sound strange upon the lips of men of might: yet vanity, power, corruption and privilege dissolve in time’s solution. All that remains is an imagined world of substance where nameless kings of nowhere dwell.
This 2016/18 Bronze series is now complete. I made the forms in wood and clay then cast them at Powderhall Bronze, Edinburgh, Scotland. My warm thanks to everyone there who worked with me on these pieces with such skill, patience and enthusiasm.
The unusual white over dark brown patina was created using zinc oxide over liver of sulfur. The Triarchs are also cast in bronze with copper plate vestments.
