KURIOLOGY Cornish Outsider Art Brut Sculpture creations are influenced by an eclectic interest in museum Cabinets of curiosities, Roman Greek mythology and their homoerotic male nude sculpture. Other influences include dark macabre of Gothic, memento-mori, witchcraft artifacts, occult, and even steampunk
Saturday, 10 November 2018
Friday, 31 August 2018
Dead as a Dodo and other Halloween type things?
Dead as a Dodo and other Halloween type things?
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| Dodo sculpture by Kuriology |
With such an unusually long hot & summer this year in the UK it seems to have impacted sales of Kuriology Art Laboratory items. Now perhaps all the goths, steampunk-ers, oddity & curiosity collectors were twiddling their toes on a beach somewhere?
Who knows?
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| Vampire Heart |
However, since last September Kuriology sales had been steadily ticking along quite merrily up until the summer heat wave hit. Then, just like a trout stream, things dried up a bit.
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| Monkey Skeleton |
But Halloween is approaching, so (in theory) Kuriology Art Laboratory object sales should start to pick up. They are after all quite unique, one of a kind (OOAK) creations that fit well into the folklore, folk art, horror, goth, steampunk, museum, oddity collector niche.
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| Laboratory Experiment |
Unlike things cast from molds & made of plastic, Kuriology items are handcrafted, primarily made from recycled materials, they will age, & develop their own unique patina.
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| Dragon Hatchling |
So what sorta of thing is likely to be found released from the Kuriology Art Laboratory?
Well, things like that pictured above really, oh & the thing below...we think its a sort of 'Hand of Glory', but who knows what someone may use it for?
Perhaps add a little sign- 'Shoplifters will be severely dealt with'?
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| Severed Hand |
You can find Kuriology items for sale on ebay.co.uk here:- Kuriology on ebay
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
A Guide to Kuriology for ebay, but ebay scrapped their guide program?
A Buyers Guide to Art of Kuriology on ebay,
...but ebay scrapped their own guide program?
It had been on my 'to do' list for quite some time. To write a guide for ebay on Kuriology Art sculptures. I finally put aside some time after I noted a prompt from ebay. Spent a couple of hours scribbling away with big crayons & went to upload the Kuriology guide onto ebay.
????? But, No can do?
A little further investigation (google) & discovered ebay have scrapped their own guide scheme initiative. In the process ebay dumping 500,000 guides written by enthusiastic ebayers?
These guides as well as being informative, drove free traffic to ebay via google.
So why scrap?
Who knows?
But since Kuriology sculptures use recycled materials, here is the ebay Kuriology guide recycled onto the blog.
-: Art of KURIOLOGY :-
by The Kuriologist
‘Outsider - Folk Art’
For the different,
unusual, individual & unique
What is KURIOLOGY?
Made from found, recycled,
re-purposed, re-used items & materials crafted into objects of primarily
environmentally responsible or social commentary Art. These creations have to fit into
the artists spectrum interpretation of Wunderkammer ‘Cabinet of Curiosity’ objects
& artefacts. The artist work often reflecting a personal eclectic
interest in Antiques, Natural History, Taxidermy, Folklore, Occult &
Witchcraft, Paleontology, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Classical Greek/Roman mythology
& Art. All such subjects fitting into
the artists broad umbrella perception of ‘Cabinet of curiosities’ and reflected
in diversity of Kuriology collectible décor creations.
Who is the
Kuriologist? A cognitively disabled self-taught ‘Outsider’ artist. Following a prolonged period of years of authority
(& others) instigated physical assaults
& physiological intimidation & hate crimes against him, the artist suffered
severe catastrophic trauma. During later
clinical & forensic medical diagnosis the artist’s condition was likened to
that of ‘a person repeatedly exposed to
life threatening situations’ (ie: living in a war zone). Cognitively impaired with PTSD (Post traumatic Stress Disorder) severe anxiety,
physically painful panic attacks & form of (authoritarian) people related agoraphobia. The artist became housebound
for more than a decade. During this time, he taught himself to sculpt from
whatever materials available to hand & created 100’s & 100’s of
sculptures which very few people ever got to see.
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| Kuriology Art Sculptures |
How are Kuriology
pieces made?
Using a range of diverse
materials to construct form & body, & often incorporating elements of
both traditional & contemporary Papier-mâché & decoupage techniques
– the artist’s ‘vegetarian taxidermy
‘-pieces using no animal parts (Other than shellac polish). Kuriology assemblage sculptural pieces made up of
multiple pieces & objects on social, political & other topics, broadly referred
to by the artist as – ‘reliquary cabinets
of collective curiosity’. A back ground as a former
antique furniture restorer, Kuriology art pieces often stained, French polished
& by incorporating antique or old objects, have an overall antique or
vintage feel & look about a completed piece.
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| Vegetarian Taxidermy Octopus in progress |
Where Kuriology has
been exhibited?
The Kuriologist lives in relative reclusion in
an isolated rural area, seldom travels & feels disconnected, even excluded from
conventional art & disability organisations. His work deemed by some as - to craft like for Art galleries & too Art-y for craft fairs. Although several galleries in Cornwall, UK,
have taken & sold Kuriology Art, it is museums & antique shop
environments in which Kuriology Art seems most in place.
In June 2017 Kuriology
held a summer exhibition at Helston Museum.
Over x250 (tip of iceberg) Kuriology
sculptures exhibited. Attracting double usual
number of Museum visitors. Also, digital
exhibition of Kuriology art as part of ‘Alternative’ touring exhibition at
Bristol Museum, Poole Museum, Falmouth Art Gallery & Cheltenham Gallery.
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| Kuriology Exhibition Helston Museum 2017 |
Types of Kuriology
1.
‘Vegetarian
Taxidermy’ – Natural History Animal figures using no actual animal parts
2.
‘Reliquary
Cabinets of Collective Curiosity’ – Assemblage constructions
3.
‘Steampunk
Inspired’ – But seldom a gear or cog insight…
4.
‘Science
Fantasy’ – Science fiction, alien & fantasy creations
5.
‘Figurative
Nudes’ – Primarily male sculptures often Greek/Roman mythology figure based
6.
‘Occult,
Witchcraft & Folklore’ – Inspired by traditional & antique artefacts
7.
‘Carnival
of the Dead Figures’ – Memento Mori meets Day of The Dead, whilst passing
through the vaults of Victorian Dark Gothic
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| Kuriology Reliquary of Collective Curiosity |
Why buy Kuriology
sculptures?
1.
Environmental
Credibility: Primarily uses recycled
& re-purposed materials & resources.
2.
Individually
Unique: OOAK (One of a kind)
Every Kuriology sculpture is individual. Some may be similar, but none are the
same. No production line plastic resin moulds
used here!
3.
Collectible
Curiosities: Sales indicate already a small ‘hard-core’ number of early-bird
Kuriology collectors.
4.
Affordability:
Hundreds of Kuriology sculptures were
created in ten-years of being housebound.
Needing to downsize to create needed valuable space Kuriology sculptures
are offered at auction at sensible & affordable start prices. Start prices which barely reflect minimum wage
hours entailed in the creation
When should you
buy Kuriology sculptures?
Well right now seems as good a time as any?
Because when they are sold they are gone!
Click here:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/sculpthunter
Sunday, 1 July 2018
Indigenous Cornish Dragons or an Environmental Disaster Biological Freak
Since the late 1980's there have allegedly been increased sightings of strange previously unknown species of creature in Cornwall in the UK
The
‘Nancekuke Slithering’
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| Kuriology Artist Sculpture of 'The Cornish Slithering' Small Dragon like indigenous species to Cornwall, but mammalian not reptile. |
Unique Cornish bat species of dragon-like underground adaptation or mutation in Nancekuke toxic environmental dumping in former mining area?
‘Nancekuke Slithering’ - So named due to its movement when escaping when chanced upon & after its initial 1st sighting location. A cryptozoology Troglophile semi-aquatic & flying/gliding species. A small, but voracious predatory mammal (cannibalistic in nature). Said to be exclusive in habitat found
only in/around underground abandoned mine workings & cave environments of
the former Cornish Tin mining industry -primarily Camborne/Redruth &
surrounding geographical mining locality of Cornwall, UK.
Mammalian: Length up to 1 metre. Completely hairless, with thick
leathery skin. Head is mustelid like, with efficient canine teeth & flesh
slicing incisors & premolars. Outstanding & unique biological feature are an unprecedented third pair limbs of small leathery wings. Speculated to be an opportunist ‘glide & strike’ aerial cave/cavern hunter. Theoretically derived from a sub-order of Chiroptera (Bats), although
completely unlike any other hitherto known species of bat.
To date; no live specimen recorded as having been
retained in captivity. Appears to be utterly intolerant to both daylight & artificial light
which seem to cause 'extreme' discomfort to its eyes. Has poor conventional eye
sight, but may be able to detect prey by thermal, electrical and/or chemical
marker indicator means.
Extremely aggressive when encountered/cornered. Spits, or sprays
regurgitated highly caustic gastric stomach acid which can cause severe burns, & pain to exposed skin & almost instant blindness if caught in the eyes of a victim. A small,
rodent/rat like body torso (although not
of a rodent species). It has an elastic like gut which can expand
massively. This expanding stomach enables the creature to consume (comparative to its own body size) vast
amounts of prey food in one feeding. A
long slender snake like neck, with an expanding gullet & stomach, quite unlike
any other species of mammal & more akin to that found in species of deep
sea fish.
Three toed claw feet on back & front legs, occasionally
webbed. A long seemingly prehensile tail which can
grasp & hold objects. The creature
can also use its tail as a whip like weapon. Also, the tail used to restrict,
crush, & suffocate prey much like a constrictor snake. Tail may
occasionally have a small paddle-like tip to the end, thought to be an aid for
swimming/aquatic hunting.
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| A Nancekuke Slithering. Cornwall |
Male & female Slithering's are believed to be approx. of equal size.
Mature males reputedly have up to five (more
commonly three) horny appendage spikes down its back along the spine. Horn like head appendages thought to sometimes
occur in both male & female mature specimens.
It is believed they give birth to live young, which are completely independent hunters from birth. The 1st born may even predate upon any other subsequent new born siblings for their first meal. In time of food shortage a fertile mother may also predate upon her own new born young.
A voracious hunter predator, preferring live food but
adaptable & will scavenge on any available meat carrion. Giving rise to
theory these creatures ‘may’ be the
original ‘Cornish knockers’, fabled
underground creatures in Cornish mining folklore. From as early as the C17th, Cornish miners
would sometimes hear ‘knockers’ underground. This was believed to be a forewarning of a mine collapse/flood & Cornish miners would leave food
scraps for the creatures for luck, to appease & thank the knockers. Also,
the ‘Slithering’ maybe responsible
for sudden inexplicable occasional utter decimation of entire underground rat
populations in mine workings.
Prey:- 'They are what they eat' - has been said of them due to their diverse species environmental physical adaptations, being able to hunt by air, in water & by land - but only in the dark, sun-less environment. Believed to primarily prey upon insects, fish, crustaceans, small
rodents (shrews, mice, voles, rats,
rabbits), birds, bats – Will predate upon virtually anything it can tackle & can take prey up to & in extreme cases, in excess of x10 times its own weight/size.
Also, cannibalistic, feeding upon its own species believed common place.
A spate of domestic cat disappearances &
unexplained dog injuries & blind-ings since 2000 are attributed by ‘some’ & coincide with - increased
sightings of ‘Slithering’ creatures in
the same catchment urban human population settlement areas in Cornwall. This may indicate a possible expanding of subterranean
‘Slithering’ habitat territory from original ground zero sighting location & an increased diversity & expanding range of their selected prey food species.
‘Slithering’ as a
separate species, first may have allegedly been reported sighted 1989 by local night sea anglers at Portreath, Cornwall. An accidental chanced upon night sighting by torch light on cliffs. This occurred near & very shortly after closure & subsequent demolition
of the Ministry of Defence Chemical (&
Biological?) warfare research facilities at Nancekuke.
Nancekuke was a chemical (biological?)
research facility, Portreath, Cornwall from the early 1950s. Chemical
weapons, including Sarin & VX gas are known to have been manufactured there.
The demolition & toxic material from the former research premises is recorded
(Hansard: House of Commons Debate 18 Jan
2000 vol 342 cc818-26) to have been unceremoniously disposed of, reputedly buried
(dumped) down abandoned nearby old mine-shafts. The area riddled with centuries of interconnected mine workings, many completely uncharted. A factor not disclosed, despite widespread local public knowledge, when the MOD Nancekuke chemical warfare research facility was proposed, then sited post WWII in the cold war political environment of the 1950's. Increased environmental concerns necessitated clearing
of previously dumped Nancekuke toxic waste & began in 2003. Although
questions do remain.
NB: It is interesting to note former Cornwall Kerrier local council
undertook a massive & hugely expensive program of capping hundreds of
open mine shafts in their authority, which included the Portreath, Nancekuke area. This was despite considerable environmentalists concern expressed
regarding negative impact upon vulnerable & endangered protected species of
native bat colonies which roost in open abandoned mine shafts. Some shafts were fitted with bat friendly
access grills, - but not all of them?
The disturbance by initial dumping of Nancekuke demolition material followed by re excavation of said dump sites may have caused exposure/disturbance
of hither too completely unknown/unrecognized indigenous or adapted native species. Or as is more broadly speculated,
chemical/biological contamination may have contributed to a gross & rapid traumatic evolutionary
mutation transition of an already existing species. - The Slithering. Alternatively a combination of both factors.
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| Cornish Slithering - A Cryptozoic Species |
All sightings are notably in former mining areas, spanning huge geographical areas of centuries of former underground workings. All these former working mines now abandoned, consisting of miles & miles of tunnels & passageways, many uncharted & not surveyed.
Sunday, 20 May 2018
Friday, 27 April 2018
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Friday, 26 January 2018
To snipe or not to snipe, that is the online auction.
To Snipe or not to Snipe,
that is the online auction.
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| Kuriology sculptures at auction on ebay.co.uk |
To Snipe or not to Snipe, that is the online auction. whether tis noble to bid manually than use tech software.
Like many people back in the early 2000's, I fell in love with the ebay auctions.
The fun of bidding on an item which you may otherwise not find on the high street. The possibilities (frequent back then) of picking up it up as a real bargain. That was as a buyer.
One man (or women's) junk was another's treasure
As a seller, always the chance that your item would fetch far more than the value you yourself placed upon it.
However, I could not understand how sometimes I was pipped at the post in the bidding at the very last seconds. It was a few years before I was tipped off to 'sniping'.
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| Kuriology Steampunk Nautilus Submarineon ebay auction with 99p start price |
Wikipedia tells us that auction sniping is:-
- Auction sniping is the practice, in a timed online auction, of placing a bid likely to exceed the current highest bid (which may be hidden) as late as possible—usually seconds before the end of the auction—giving other bidders no time to outbid the sniper. This can be done manually, by software on the bidder's computer,[1] or by an online sniping service.[2][3] Use of an online service is said to decrease the failure rate of the snipe, because the website has more reliable servers and a faster Internet connection with a less variable delay in sending data (jitter), allowing the bid to be placed closer to the deadline, even arriving within the last second.
Yes, I admit to having my own free snipe account. This 'free' account enables me to bid on up to x5 different items a week using snipe technology free. I tend to only use snipe on items which tend to have a higher value or I 'really' want to stand a good/better chance of winning, but do not want to run bidding up early on in an online auction.
Also, using snipe tends to reduce risk of falling victim to 'shilling' bids. These are bids placed by the owner of the object for sale or placed by an associate of theirs to artificially inflate the bid value of an object.
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| Kuriology Sculpture on ebay.co.uk |
Wikipedia tells us auction shilling bids are:-
- Shilling bids Sniping closes a loophole to fraudulent practice by a shill (an agent for the seller, which may be another account of the seller) to raise the bid to the maximum. They then hope the original bidder will increase their maximum bid even by a small amount to win the auction. The danger to the seller in this case is that the original bidder may not choose to increase their bid, leaving the seller with a futile transaction (selling the item to themselves) which will often still incur a fee from the auction service. Bidding at the last moment prevents a shill bidder from pushing the auction higher, as they have no time to make the incremental bids required.
Many a person I have spoken with have not clearly understood 'how' auctions work & know nothing of shilling bids or sniping. Often bemoaning how they had been winning an absolute bargain item all week at auction to suddenly loose it in the last few seconds to a higher bid.
The bottom line is he/she who is willing to bid most at auction - wins.
...but in my experience sniping can sometimes help you win!
PS. There is also BIN sniping (BIN = Buy it Now), but that's another kettle of fish altogether & not related truly to last-sec online auction sniping.
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Slithered under the laboratory door. Released onto unsuspecting public - Kuriology
More things have Slithered under the laboratory door
Released onto unsuspecting public - Kuriology
Sunday, 21 January 2018
Witchcraft Folk Art Poppet Caricature Charm Figure Voodoo Doll Grotesque Weird
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| Ugly Offensive Pin Doll Poppet for charity auction |
Witchcraft Folk Art Poppet Caricature Charm Figure
Voodoo Doll Grotesque Weird Effigy
This morning (Sunday 21st Jan), in solidarity with the #WomensMarch2018 (I'm a bloke), I have decided to donate the sum total auction price this item realizes on ebay to a homeless charity. St Petrocs Society in Cornwall (UK). Women are victims of homelessness too!
This item - Dirt cheap! We actually mean the auction start price!
A 'come buy me' low bid price. Truth is, we just want rid of this ugly offensive little manikin - we mean the doll.
Utterly garish, gross, tatty, nasty, tasteless, poor quality, & many would consider kitsch tat!
...No, seriously, we do mean the doll, despite that some people think it looks a little like some bloke called Trump!
Now to be clear this folk art is a based upon a traditional pin doll, not a covert Russian Doll.
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| Click on picture to go to online auction of this doll |
Some might consider & think this to be a representational doll of a borderline Neo-Nazi Blond Right Wing Bigoted US Republican Trans-phobic Homophobic Racist Misogynist
We could not possibly say that, but....
What it is ...'& this is not fake news', it is 'Crap Art', that is to say - a term used to describe an item made from recycled rubbish (To be absolutely clear, the doll, we do mean the doll).
NB; This doll is not stuffed with recycled Mc Donalds fast food wrappers - too greasy!
This is a contemporary folk art take on a traditional Witchcraft Poppet Doll. It was never intended or made to last, but to be destroyed by burning, burying, decomposition, or drowned by being weighed down in water, stuck with pins...or torn apart by dogs (NB: Not advisable, as we would not want any dog to choke on it).
There are said to be various traditional means of using a witchcraft poppet doll. Research would indicate this could be used for what is termed 'Go away' magic. This folk art take on a charm intended to deter, reflect or repel (well its not a bigger red button is it?). We only created this Folk Art poppet doll, for something to burn &/or stick with pins/blackthorn spikes, had a certain particular 'visit' to the UK gone ahead this February.
The scheduled February visit to UK has now been reported in the media as cancelled, (Hurrah!! But quite strange, because we quite like the design of the new USA embassy building in London).
So we don't need this unpleasant objectionable little puffed up obnoxious effigy representation of male misogyny any longer. (we do mean the doll). Besides, we can always make another if we must, for any further impending state visit to the UK.
However, there may be someone who will like, or even love this really rubbish rough bit of tasteless tatty crap....(How many times? We do mean the doll) even if it is to just stick pins in &/or burn it.....or you might even build a wall around it?
Can you tell, really going for the 'hard sell' on the nasty crap quality of this item?
At 99p start. Its worth bidding on - just for a laugh!
Not bidding?
YOU could still share the love...by posting a link for this item on social media
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| Click on image to go to online auction of this doll |
DESCRIPTION:
With the environment in mind, Kuriology art is responsibly & individually made in the United Kingdom using primarily & where possible recycled & re-purposed materials. We care about the environment & support the principles of the Paris agreement on climate change.
Incorporating traditional paper-mache & decoupage techniques in contemporary individual art creations. Often with a shellac coat finish, a traditional natural lacquer polish application which gives many of our sculptures an authentic antique or vintage aged look & appeal. Each separate sculpture takes upwards of three hours to create.
NB: Kuriology sculptures are NOT cast from a mould or mass produced in far east factories. Likewise, NOT made from oil industry based resin or environmentally damaging single use plastic, unless being recycled from an original product usage.
This Kuriology sculpture is simply unique, ‘one of a kind’ (ooak).
We may make other similar sculptures, but no two Kuriology sculptures are every quite same. Many ‘Art of Kuriology’ sculptures have previously been both Gallery & Museum exhibited. ...but NOT this piece!
Construction: ‘mixed medium’ materials
Over all condition: Rough/tatty/bloody poor quality = The doll, we do mean the doll
Dimensions (Approx.)
- Height = 34cm
- Width = 15cm
- Depth = 12cm
(Please note:- It is NOT 6' 3" & does not weigh 239lb - that would be a lie!)
Photos make up part of description
Bid on this - just for a laugh?
,,,or re-post via social media. (You know you want too!!)
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