ANNULOID

1994

Yellowwood, Imbuia, Twigs, Escutcheon pins

Collection Jack Ginsberg

Entries as they appear in braille on the base of the scupture:

ANNULOID open

ANNULOID closed

ANNULOID detail

The work comprises of fifteen small bavins (Old English for 'bundles'), withed (bound up) and henged (made into a circle) within a hollowed-out doughnut shape. The piece was commissioned by Jack Ginsberg, who wanted a solid annuloid, like the one in the BLIND ALPlL4BET PROJECT.

Willem Boshoff surprised his friend by presenting him with a hand-sculpted piece that looks solid, but that is in fact hollow. The artist had documented various pre-historic stone circles on a tour through England, Wales and Scotland For fifteen days he had identified and collected small bundles of plant material to empathize with the druids, the seers and medicine men of old, who knew their plants, and who made frequent collections for their potions. The Braille alludes to the fact that druids were thought to be blessed with special pene-trating powers when blind.

 

A : SMALL-LEAVED ELM
ULMUS MINOR
CANTERBURY

B : HAWTHORN
CRATAEGUS SP
ASHFORD

C : BEECH
FAGUS SYLVATICA
WINCHESTER

D : BRAMBLE
RUBUS FRUTICOSUS
MARLBOROUGH

E : CRACK WILLOW
SALIX FRAGILIS
OXFORD

F : GOLDEN BELLS
FORSYTHIA SP
OXFORD

G : BLACKTHORN
PRUNUS SPINOSA
MORETON ON MARSH

H : FIELD ROSE
ROSA ARVENSIS
LLANDRINDOD

I : GORSE
ULEX EUROPAEUS
ABERYSTWYTH

J : LOMBARDY POPLAR
POPULUS NIGRA
LIVERPOOL

K : NORWAY SPRUCE
PICEA ABIES
KESWICK

L : HORSE CHESTNUT
AESCULUS SP
EDINBURGH

M : COMMON ALDER
ALNUS GLUTINOSA
EDINBURGH

N : HOLLY
ILEX AQUIFOLIUM
LEEDS

O : ELDER
SAMBUCUS NIGRA
CAMBRIDGE