Aqua Marina
Artist
Mara; Roy Superior; Superior
(Mara (b. 1951); Roy (1934-2013))
Date2006
Mediumsculpture; Ceramic and wood cabinet; porcelain, polychrome birch ply, white pine, basswood, mahogany, maple, bone, gold leaf, brass, seashells, egg tempera on panel
Dimensions80 x 32 x 15 in.
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of Melinda and Dr. Paul Sullivan
Object number2006.41
DescriptionMelinda and Dr. Paul Sullivan have commissioned a collaborative cabinet, "Aqua Marina", for the collection of the New Britain Museum. It is replete with sea imagery. Roy, the "terminally addicted fly fisherman," pays great attention to sea life in a wide range of details. These include fish-shaped brass hinges, seashell knobs and bone latches carved in fish silhouettes. He created an egg tempera painted panel of a water scene as a background. In this diorama-like setting, Roy has added dimensional underwater creatures carved like antique fishing lures. The alcove becomes a stage set for another of Mara's multi-tiered extravagant teapot forms devoted to sea life. The top of the cabinet houses Pearls, 2006. This stepped teapot salutes the "Bijoux of the sea" in a seascape of mermaids and sailing ships. Fish and scallops in glazed relief and drawings of snails and sea grass fill each tier like a wedding cake for King Neptune. The stylized lid is topped with a three-dimensional mermaid resting on a half shell, adorned with strings of pearls. The attention to detail lavished on this work, overall by both artists, transcends the functional to create a nautical-themed environmental installation.Mara remarked the following about her work:
"The collaborative cabinet "Aqua Marina" is the latest in a series that attempt to provide a complete environment for each theme. Beginning primarily as functional objects, these pieces have become more conceptual in nature, more like houses for a personal collection of images related to a theme."
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