Cruel Beauty

So,
where would you expect to find
a piece like this ?

(other than in the Ando Gallery of the Art Institute)

Obviously,
in the boudoir of
a femme fatale









There's something unnatural
about its beauty.

Sometimes,
even when she's wearing
way too much makeup,
a woman can still be beautiful.








This would be a drawer
where the deed
to a client's family is being kept.
(before it is sold to a speculator,
and the current inhabitants are evicted)




or,
what about this cricket cage.











with a captive pair of
metal crickets.


There's something
so uncomfortable about it.

As a beautiful object
that might adorn a life of hopeless despair.

(both of the above are Meiji era pieces)


















Of course,
I'm much more comfortable
with some 15th C.
Wabi Sabi.






reminds me
of the floor
of my studio!