For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
- Newton’s Third Law
If the Urban Camo Seed Bombs were an exercise in patience and observation, the Fauxberge Egg series is an exercise in instant, almost violent, gratification. Eight hollowed eggs filled with California Poppy seeds and painted to resemble Faberge Eggs; they’re destined to be shattered on the streets of Fruitvale, scattering their seeds and (hopefully) leading to a crop of spring flowers. A direct response to my previous seed bomb series; I’m continuing to work with themes of art as renewal, the impermanence of the art object, and the arbitrary nature of “worth”. Building on that conceptual base are the additional tensions of passive versus active destruction and precious trash versus trashing the precious.
Now to meet the eggs!
Imperial Coronation Egg and Pansy Egg
The Imperial Coronation Egg was a gifted to Empress Alexandra Fvodorovna in 1897 to commemorate the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II.
The Pansy Egg was gifted to Tsar Nicholas II from Empress Alexandra Fvodorovna in 1899.
Rose Trellis Egg
The Rose Trellis Egg was gifted to Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna by Tsar Nicholas II in 1907.
Rosebud Egg (dedicated to Conor Fahey-Latrope)
The Rosebud Egg was gifted to Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna by Tsar Nicholas II in 1895. It was the first egg Nicholas gifted to her.
Clover Leaf Egg and Twelve Panel Egg
The Clover Leaf Egg was gifted to Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna by Tsar Nicholas II in 1902. It is considered too fragile to travel and is one of the few Imperial Eggs to have never left Russia.
The Twelve Panel egg was gifted to Barbara (Varvara) Kelch-Bazanova in 1899 by her husband Alexander Kelch. It is the only non-Imperial Egg I painted.
Twelve Monograms Egg
The Twelve Monograms egg – Also called the Alexander III Portrait Egg – was gifted to the Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna in 1896 by her son Tsar Nicholas II.
Renaissance Egg
The Renaissance Egg was gifted to Empress Maria Fyodorovna in 1894 by her husband Tsar Alexander III. It was the last egg he would gift her.
All my portfolio pics were shot by the wonderful Randal Alan Smith. You should consider him for you Bay Area art and product photography needs. http://randalalansmith.com/