Another bout with insomnia some months prior left me channel surfing late at night, once again. From the opener to the end of this show, I was hooked. It was dark, creepy, and kooky. Cool! Even better, the shop is located in New York. Local color, indeed.
"Obscura" deals with a certain clientele who represent a rather interesting subset of the tri-state area's population. For me, the characters who frequent the shop are the type of people who are into a retro Coney Island, freak show, tattooed look. Oddly enough, they aren't all that uncommon in these parts, familiar to those of us who work within creative businesses. The raven-haired, heavily-tatted, red-lipsticked gal with an odd assortment of vintage items in her office is a standard in most art and design departments around town.
After all, those of us who are art school refugees are used to these types of encounters. How many times have you been in a "crit" (a critique session held in a studio class, when new work is posted for review, commentary, slashing, personal attacks, what have you), when invariably one student tries to define themselves with shock tactics? Raises hand!
Beyond that, I find fascination in a trade that deals in dead items. Unlike someone looking to be "edgy", I like the frank discussion of human remains within the real world. Death is so hidden and taboo among Americans, it's almost like this natural part of our existence, doesn't, well, exist. But it so clearly does. Every life form on this planet is born, lives for a time, then dies. To deny this basic tenet of all life on earth seems just as strange to me, a sanitization of something everyone encounters. Why not put it out there and deal with it in a healthier, more open way?
There is also a heavily scientific interest to the show, with their business done in skeletons, animal pelts, mummies, etc; something that also resonates with most artists, because we typically study anatomy and biology in detail. You'd be surprised at some of the experts they have on the show: private collectors, museum curators, lawyers, taxidermists, the list goes on and on. And if you're in New York already, or planning a trip, go check out the shop with your own eyes. http://www.obscuraantiques.com/
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| Cover design by Marie Doucette |
Happy Halloween shopping.
