In this composition by Samuel Bak, two large rocks set adjacent to each other create the suggestion of a teacup shape. They are split apart, with a large opening that shows a correspondingly sized spoon held by the teacup-shaped rock on the right. A suggestion of the teacup base remains, but it has been broken apart, leaving the spoon to rest on the ground, rendered useless by a lack of liquid to stir. The rock on the right also has a handle, partially attached, with the top of the handle resting against a pile of rocks where it should meet the side of the teacup. The rock on the left is unadorned except for a blue strip of metal that reaches over the gap between the rocks, denoting where the lip of the teacup would be if it was in its complete form. Upon closer observation, the entire structure rests at the edge of an endless cliff.
The image is undeniably melancholic. All of the parts needed for utility are there, and yet the teacup remains inoperable. Has the teacup degraded over time, once a functional vessel, now decomposing and awaiting its fall down the cliff's edge? This reading raises questions regarding the passing of time, and the way that all things inevitably end. What was once useable will eventually break down. Or alternatively, was it never a teacup at all? Perhaps the form was only ever shaped like a teacup but could not actually hold a liquid. The rock appears to be dense, as if it never had a hollow center. This reading is sadder than the first, contending with ideas surrounding an inability to fulfill one's purpose. The unusable teacup was not operative while whole, and now it is inoperable due to its decomposition. This could also suggest an idea that is doomed from the start, something that had all of the operative parts but one missing piece, in this case, a hollow center, renders the idea useless.
Michaela Dehning (Guest Writer)
BAK a Day, March 20, 2024
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What if you were asked to create a short story based on this image. Would your life experience provide you with tales of fragments and brokenness, along with wholeness?
The spoon seems to be intact. All else is in pieces including the incised design of another cup and a chip caused by a bullet.
The fragment of the metal rim of the cup is tenuous, perched on the top of a part of the cup that was.
The landscape surrounding is abbreviated and the somewhat ominous clouds suggest the movement of birds. As Autumn approaches, these same birds are preparing to fly South.
This is not a relaxed or inviting setting. It does suggest the other!
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