The Court Joker walked a fine line between jest and offence. Given a royal pardon to speak their mind to their masters, they often became a trusted ally, but would inevitably overstep the mark, leading in many cases to their death. The ‘cap and bells hat’ refers to a donkey ears and tail; a flimsy, colourful fabric hat in stark contrast to a solid King’s crown.
This piece aims to celebrate the contradictions that exist within our society. From far away, the crown looks decorative, but on closer inspection anonymous figures hold the structure together. Frozen in motion, the figures could be falling, or helping each other climb, representing such conflicts as globalisation and destruction, between our goal to extend human life, and the beauty of the ephemeral.
The piece was cast as a whole, solidifying that there are no beginnings or endings, but a continuous amalgamation of paradoxes. This is enhanced by the endless twisted frame, disrupting the structure, and redefining the edges as indistinct.
The contrasts continue to the metal; bronze has an associated heaviness, although the actual piece is fairly light, and whilst functionable as a crown, the material cements the piece as an ornamental sculpture.