the sharp end
A BUTCHER'S #81
A BUTCHER’S hook/look (Cockney rhyming slang)
sticks, spears, swords and skewers
Meanwhile, back in the stranger world of medieval Rome…
A strange combination of two periods and styles of fresco painting on the same wall where the larger figures in sepia border the scenes in color.
This fresco hints at the unexpected scenes we’ve been rediscovering in Rome’s churches. Beyond the graphic depictions of Hell and what awaits if you don’t behave, these medieval churches (and there are over 900 of them) are often filled with scenes of torture and martyrdom (at the hands of the Romans).
What’s honestly surprising (and I think to many) is that there is no holding back in these scenes; no beatific eyes looking up to Heaven - it’s a full on grisly cataloging of their tortured ends: beating, stoning and beheading seem almost straightforward when compared to others shown in the process of being skinned, sawed in half down the middle, hands chopped off, tongues cut out, boiled or cooked alive. The list goes on - it’s like they sat around really thinking on new horrific ways to do someone in! (I can show you if you want, just ask)
sharp words
which of these shapes would you name maluma and which is takete? continue reading later in this issue*
poynters and creepers
How great is this?! Put on your DENSON shoes - poynters and creepers. I picked this up from the hardware shop (ironmongers) on Clapham High St in London, where I used to buy my Doc Martens (they hadn’t gone mainstream yet). I did have a pair of DENSON winklepicker ankle boots - purple lining and exceptionally pointy.
spikes
I had obviously absorbed a lot of the kind of weird juxtaposition in representation of faith and cruelty while living in Rome, and in the 90s was working on the jarring contrast in the appearance of ‘soft’ flesh in fresco painting against the hard edged, intimidating ‘metallic’ graphite spikes. (Don’t ask me what they are about, they just are!)
pinned
Another of my New York postcard collages - this one is from 2002, when Anna had started going to acupuncture.
The first time I tried acupuncture, it was in England with, appropriately enough, a Dr Hilary Sharp (it worked)
*sharp words (cont)
so how did you allocate the two names?
The takete–maluma phenomenon - In 1929, psychologist Wolfgang Köhler introduced a straightforward and telling experiment. He showed test subjects two shapes: one rounded and cloudlike, the other sharp and spiky and then asked them to assign one of the made-up names ’takete‘ or ‘maluma’ to each shape. The result? over 95% of people asked matched ‘maluma’ with the rounded shape and ‘takete’ with the angular one. It seems almost too obvious - it just makes sense to people.
The experiment can use any made up words that are made up of sharp and rounded letters - for example it’s also known as The Bouba-Kiki Effect (watch it: click here) and seems to show itself in all sorts of ways - from names and across cultures and languages to angular movements and stick figure drawings to smooth, flowing movement to round figure drawing.
Well, I thought it was interesting!
to the point
from the postcard pile - it’s concise and informative.
We have a full house here. Every one fine. Anna
