FOUNTAIN OF LIFE
Can we return?
Fountain Of Life, 2007-2008
Onyx
Unique work
H110 x W225 x D158cm
© Mark Humphrey
COLLABORATORS
Design Centre London
Osborne Samuel gallery
Pietrasanta Cultural Institute
LOCATION
Chelsea, London, UK
“FOUNTAIN OF LIFE TRANSFORMS A BATH AND WASHBASIN INTO A CONTINUOUS CYCLE OF WATER, CLEANSING AND RENEWAL. HAND-CARVED FROM ONYX, THE ORGANIC FORMS FLOW INTO ONE ANOTHER, CREATING AN INFINITY-LIKE STRUCTURE IN WHICH WATER MOVES FROM THE BASINS INTO THE BATH, OVERFLOWS AND RETURNS AGAIN. THE BATH BECOMES BOTH A VESSEL AND A FOUNTAIN – A PLACE OF IMMERSION AND REBIRTH.
THE FLOWING WATER BECOMES A METAPHOR FOR LIFE ITSELF. CONSTANTLY IN MOTION, IT SUGGESTS THE CYCLES THROUGH WHICH WE ARE BORN, GROW AND DEVELOP. THE ORGANIC FORMS RECALL THE SHAPES OF NATURE AND THE HUMAN BODY, WHILE THE ENCLOSED, WOMB-LIKE STRUCTURE EVOKES A PLACE OF PROTECTION, ORIGIN AND NEW LIFE.
THE BATHING VESSEL ALSO CARRIES THE LANGUAGE OF RITUAL. THE BASINS AND BATH RECALL A FONT AND ALTAR, BRINGING ASSOCIATIONS OF BAPTISM, PURIFICATION AND SPIRITUAL RENEWAL. WATER BECOMES BOTH PHYSICAL AND SYMBOLIC: SOMETHING THAT CLEANSES THE BODY, WASHES AWAY THE PAST AND OFFERS THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEW BEGINNING.”
Mark Humphrey
“AS THE SHOW, ART IN LIFE SUGGESTS, ART REALLY IS LIFE IN MARK HUMPHREY’S ARTISTIC HANDS.”
Financial Times
Nicole Swengley
