No, This is Not Popcorn

One thing I've noticed in the gallery is that it doesn't fail that customers can be heard murmuring in one particular corner.  There you will find Tom Hattons's ceramics, One Wing Studio silk scarves, and Soapwerks candles and soaps.

I've discovered that all the whispering is about one item about which many seem confused.  It's a ceramic rattle from Tom Hatton's artwork called the Venus of Willendorf.  In my previous life as a retailer, I had a paper arts store that was heavily weighted toward rubber stamps.  One of my suppliers had the Venus of Willendorf as one of his images.  However, the name of the stamp was "This is not popcorn."

If the three dimensional image is confusing, the two-dimensional, small image found on a 1" x 1" piece of wood on which the rubber was mounted was even more so.  My customers were confused even back then.

So, this blog is to do a little bit of art awareness. 

The Venus of Willendorf is considered to have origins of about 30,000 BC.  Some scientists believe that this figurine may be the first representation of a human.  There is speculation on whether she is a deity (her headdress suggests this) or a fertility goddess.  Nevertheless, since neither can be supported or refuted, she will continue to be a very important archeological find.

The original resides in Austria.   Now you can see her at Gallery 225.  I present her to you in the photo below.