Driftwood, mixed media assemblage.

On the first day of the 2012 Goldmark exhibition I noticed a quiet person, shyly observing the display. From time to time he discussed aspects with his wife, eventually choosing one of my birds, tucking it under his arm as if assessing the tameness. The man seemed from another world. There was vulnerability coupled with a deeply considered perception of the space in which he had found himself. I asked Mike who the character was. \’That\’s Andrzej Kuhn. He\’s a very special man.\’
Later in Goldmark\’s 2009 exhibition catalogue I read Jay\’s moving and enlightening foreword to Andrzej\’s beautiful essay. Some months afterwards I received a postcard from Andrzej which sits in my studio, a reminder of that memorable meeting.
Eight years later I was on hand when a number of discarded wooden glass-moulds were being destroyed. Such quality warranted translation. I saw potential for a head and set one on a triangular ironwood base. Within my \’scrap yard\’ tray were all the appropriate components. Intriguing grey plastic cap nose, squashed re bottle top mouth, rusty washer sockets defining screw-fitting light bulb eyes, black paintbrush bristles beard, blonde frayed rope hair under tin ladle hat with plastic jewel adornment.
Might this be a king from Andrzej\’s magic realm?