Harma Heikens x Toy Qube – Firestarter (8.8)

ToyQube continues its innovative Signature Series with Firestarter by Harma Heikens.  Based on A Good Year (2014)—an original wall-mounted sculpture measuring 42” high—the new smaller piece brings her incendiary statement about the relentless cycle of destruction and creation, uprisings and revolution to a broader audience. Sized  to impress on a shelf (14” x 4” x 10” high), Firestarter sits upright, wheel ablaze, ready to roll on.   The limited-edition polystone piece will be available for pre-order on Monday (8.8) for $165 (+ s/h) at ToyQube.com for a Fourth Quarter 2016 arrival.

 

Firestarter -- Artist Statement

To me the burning tire refers to the popular revolt that we see a lot of these days. A gasoline-filled tire is a low-fi weapon, similar to the Molotov cocktail. But the "Wheel of Fire" is also an ancient religious symbol, referring to the sun an the motion of the earth, and the symbolic nature of fire is both creator and destroyer, purifier and defiler. The symbolic meaning of the burning wheel and the actual application of the burning tire as a violent means of revolution coincide, which makes the image extra powerful.

But it's of course also a symbol of speed- if you want it to be about formula 1 racing it's okay with me, it's never just one thing- and it's an obvious rock&roll reference too:

'This wheel's on fire, rolling down the road
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode!'

 

Posted by Jack @ 03:43 PM in Incoming | Permalink  | Comments (1) |