Randal Thurston
Melancholia (detail), 2001, cut paper, 132" x 264"
A creature assembled and animated is central to the tradition of the golem,
Frankenstein's monster and the homunculus. Whether made of clay, disparate limbs or within an alchemist¹s vessel, these figures represent the projected desires of faith, science and philosophy. Unfortunately, there is a terrible symmetry in producing a being that is essentially a fetishistic approximation of our hopes and fears. The monsters that result come to ruin when they express a highly individual will after becoming sentient. I find
this development very telling in that it reflects both our wish to tame nature and the unpredictable quality of life. It all ends up as a cautionary tale of course, but one that teaches us through hubris, dedication and dreams what it means to be alive.
