EAA Virtual Annual Meeting
Åsil Bøthun (Norway)
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Speleothems are secondary mineral deposits formed in caves by flowing, dripping, ponded, or seeping water. The shapes of speleothems are determined by a competition between the dynamics of the water and the crystal growth habits of the constituent minerals. Another more populistic term of this phenomena is cave popcorn that in the geological world also stands for a rocky deposit related to stalactites and stalagmites, and that stands as a monument to the transformative power of water, and to the fact that caves are constantly changing. Building on these geological anchored phenomena, the series of sculptures produced for here, can at first glance be associated to speleothems, where the surface exists of small eroding into the matter, that has caved ways to a surface that is full of minute details, like a landscape in miniature. But the surfaces of these objects are tracings of Persian fur.
Qaraqul is a breed of domestic sheep which originated in Central Asia. Some archaeological evidence points to Qaraqul sheep being raised there continuously since 1400 BC. The sheep are renowned for their ability to forage and thrive under extremely harsh living conditions. They can survive severe drought conditions because of a special quality they have, storing fat in their tails. Qaraqul are also raised in large numbers in Namibia, having first been brought there by German colonists in the early 20th century, and are currently listed as endangered.
Very young or even fetal Qaraqul lambs are prized for their fur. The newborn lambs have a tight, curly pattern of hair. The lambs must be under three days old when they are killed, or they will lose their black color and soft, tightly wound coils of fur. Fetal Qaraqul lambs are harvested through miscarriages, induced early delivery or by killing the mother sheep and removing the fetus. Rather than killing healthy female sheep, farmers will kill older sheep that have already given birth many times. People use the fur to create various clothing items, commonly known as Persian fur.
