Soul of the Sempervivum
The stonecrop; in Latin, sempervivum, meaning always living, eternally alive. It is said to survive all challenging weather
conditions, including hoar frost, summer heat and spring hailstorms.
Similar to the agave, the stonecrop blooms only once in a long period. However, after it blooms, it soon dies, though many more small
descendants are born from it, and the circle of life continues. A rosette made of glass shards symbolizes the departing stonecrop, from
which new life is born. It is a kind of soul of the stonecrop, and the object is intended to evoke the eternal cycle of life.
material: bronze, glass shards
dimensions: 12 x 12 x 25cm
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Hanuš Lamr's metal objects are inspired exclusively by nature. With the enthusiasm of an explorer, he brings into focus the delicate shape
of flowers, twigs and other natural objects which, cast in metal, reveal their finest details. The task of the artist is not to succumb to the
temptation to improve upon a natural design, but to be guided by its structure, and, with a sense of respect for its immutable perfection, to
render a coda. Rather than jewelry in the traditional sense of the word, these objects are a kind of sacrament. He immerses fragile
honeycombs, dry leaves, fruits and twigs or swollen chestnut blossoms in wax, then casts them in silver or bronze. The original model burns
away during casting, so each result is unique, without the possibility of replication. Fragile metal artefacts are created, conjoined in a surreal
fusion, sometimes supplemented with glass shards or stones. Hanuš Lamr transforms leftover fragments of authentic natural materials into
relics embodying the age-old, futile desire to immortalize the ephemeral, to touch the untouchable: intactum tangere.
text: Terezia Zemánková
