Claudia Nolan: Fable

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Fable is a visual koan that questions greed and value systems — and that moment of hesitation when courage may play a part. In our current moment, we have chosen some things above others. We make a thousand choices every day, thoughtlessly or thoughtfully deciding where we will spend our limited energy, our limited lives. On quiet sustenance and care of our souls? On shiny things of bright promises and dark morals? On delivering to ourselves the imperatives of the moment? On delivering to our children a breathable future? Some gravitate toward John Donne, others toward Ayn Rand. In the ditches, in the temples, in the bleachers, in the galleries — it is the same. All fables are made of such questions.

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The sculpture is bronze, cast in the lost wax method in 2008. It measures 3.75″ x 7″ x 4” and weighs approximately 4 pounds. The 4 parts of the pattern were sculpted directly in brown Victory wax, except for the base, which started out as a mound of epsom salts transformed into wax via a dental alginate mold, then detailed (appropriately) with dental curettes. It was originally scheduled as a limited edition of 12, but because of the expense of the materials and process, only one cast has been made.

Image, sculpture, and statement copyright 2016 Claudia Nolan.

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Ed. note: Claudia Nolan’s post is the perfect post-modern fable because the original narrative (something about a mouse who has to decide between a golden marble and a green one), if it existed at all, has been completely replaced by interpretation and commentary. Instead of the story, we have an image of a sculpture representing the story, notes in two languages on the political dialectic that the story represents, a few technical facts about the sculpture, and the artist’s statement of intent about the whole thing. And now you have this note by an editor who is as impressed and confused as you are. This is the meta-world in which we live, folks. Enjoy your little golden marble.