We have seen Swarovski crystals being used on all sorts of things – from Swarovski earrings to a Swarovski-studded Scrabble board. Some years ago, LG had come up with a refrigerator that was covered in Swarovski crystals. So clearly, we have moved on from simply wearing Swarovski jewelry or drooling over Swarovski ornaments. I suppose if you can have a giant Hello Kitty that is covered in 62,000 Swarovski crystal glasses and bake a wedding cake that is encrusted with 500 Swarovski crystals, you can pretty much imagine anything. Some time ago, we had also seen Swarovski-studded animal skulls. Swarovski has certainly proved itself to be very versatile.
For proof, you simply need to check out artist Nicola Bolla’s latest collection. Bolla is known for using beautiful ingredients to build almost macabre sculptures, and his new collection is no different. The artist has chosen Swarovski crystals this time and turned them into unmistakable symbols of death, such as an AK-47 and human skeletal remains.
Bolla’s new collection has grabbed eyeballs at the Milan Design Week. I’m not sure if something like this would appeal to brands like luxury home décor firm IPE Cavalli, but it is certainly interesting. Particularly interesting is the Ossuary, which consists of 15 separate pieces including a ribcage, skulls, thigh bones and so on. An “ossuary” is generally where people who have died violent deaths are buried.
If he was intending to shock his audience, Bolla has certainly succeeded. Earlier too, he had revealed his penchant for creating shocking installations when he created a series of toilets using crystals. But it isn’t simply about shocking. His new collection is meant to reveal how transient human life really is. And the smile on one of the skulls, is perhaps testament to a quirky sense of humor as well.
Via: Daily Mail
