GRAND UNVEILING / PUBLIC EXECUTION

While still kept under wraps, with all the mounting pent-up, tense and
impatient anticipation and excitement of waiting, auto-pygmalion
vertebrate coppelia statues thaw out and deossify, until no longer
rose veined, pale marble, frigidity, rigor-mortis and stone any
longer, but live flesh and flowing blood instead.  Sudden shock,
terror, fear and joy, surprise, extasis power surge conducting through
auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia statues ignites fuse — hurled off
mantle, sent fluttering away, gets cast aside — conjuring magician
vanishing trick disappearance act — tablecloth gœs — silver cutlery
and chinaware crockery stay put — full-frontal indecent-exposure
strip-tease — olympic athlete naturist dance-troupe life-class.
Knocked-over obelisk pedestal upturns, leaving only ruined classical
column pillar head behind, smouldering, tangled with ivy, growing old
gracefully; setting auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia statues free to
rampage on the loose.  All links with already strained and fraying
intravenous-drip umbilical safety-harness sever; sending
auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia statues to summersault and
cartwheel around — but pratfall down flat on face, fracture, shatter
and decapitate into potsherds and shrapnel.  Dismembered head, limb,
digit, torso and sex fragments of auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia
statues are left to their own devices, find and stand upon their own
two feet, feel their way about, resort to whatever is come across that
and where they can lay their heads, set foot, get hands and hold onto
— and if it moves!  Adapting to occupied territory and occupying
adapted territory, auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia statues lay,
hatch and nurture spawn and practice an acquired Midas-touch.




©, Copyright, Douglas Park, 2002




Premiered as contribution to Blow by Blow, group exhibition (with
April Durham, Olive Martin and Michelle Naismith), Zoo Galerie,
Nantes, 2002.


1st published in once the search is in progress, Cycle Post-Diplome
Internationale, ERBAN, Nantes, 2002 (accompanying Ce-Moi-Ci,
exhibition and events, same artists and host)


Spoken-word vocal input, 'Mekanik', Track 14, music by Dioz, Business
Project, music album, Dioz & co, Xarutad, Nantes, 2003


Reprinted in Honorons Honore, exhibition catalog, edited by Damien De
Lepeleire, De Garage / Cultuurcentrum, Mechelen, 2008