Would Nancy Spungen have worn this?

[d_aulnoy]

Well, no.  But I'm rather pleased with it anyway.

Inspired by Veronica Schanoes' "Rats" (Interfictions, ed. Delia Sherman & Theodora Goss, Small Beer Press, Boston, 2007), "Lily, Surrounded by Rats" is made up of antique faceted gunmetal glass beads,  twinned black stick pearls, and a luminous tear-drop of jelly glass found in a junk shop.  "Rats" is a fairy tale inspired by a nightmare, a retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" which overlays the death and life of Nancy Spungen, late of punk-rock legend.  I read "Rats" for the first time in the spring of 2006, I think, knowing nothing about Nancy Spungen or Sid Vicious - all I knew was that it was a beautiful, mind-blowing, heart-breaking revision of a fairy tale that had never really appealed to me.  The innate passivity of "Sleeping Beauty" had ticked me off since I was a child (maybe I was too influenced by an early reading of Hamlet: the line that always rang in my subconscious following her curse was "were it not that I have bad dreams").  I could never figure out why she'd been so quick to trust, why she'd sought out the tender prick of the spindle in the first place.  But, give our heroin(e) a reason to seek the needle?  I'm there.  All I know is, "Rats" made me cry, which almost never happens.  So, when I heard about the auction, it seemed like a pretty natural choice for interpretation ....

More images can be found here: "Lily, Surrounded by Rats," coming soon to an IAF auction near you.

Comments

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

Oh very lovely!

(I have two pieces in this auction, and I might have a third if I can get it finished) :)

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Ooo, do you have pictures? I've been slacking on LJ, so I'm missing all the good stuff ....

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

Mhm! Wait juuuust a sec while I make the post. :D Gimme like five minutes and check my LJ ;)

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

I wait with bated breath. :)

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

OK it is up!

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous piece.

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I haven't done any beading any a *while,* and I'd forgotten how much fun it can be ....

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

I think mine might be the only pieces that aren't beaded...I considered beading necklaces to put them on but time laughed at me.

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Time does that. The bastard.

[erzebet.livejournal.com]

Absolutely stunning.

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Merci beaucoup!

[fireriven.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love the composition of this piece! Very evocative of the story and it drapes so beautifully.

I also submitted a necklace to the auction (based on K. Tempest Bradford's "Black Feather"), but I haven't had the chance to put it on Livejournal yet. I may do it tonight, or wait until tomorrow.

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'd been planning the entire thing around the stick pearls (they're *very* toothy-like in person, and the grim black sheen seemed appropriate), but it wasn't until I was nearly done that it occurred to me to represent Lily somehow ....

I will be eagerly awaiting shots of your piece! My favorite part of this whole thing is seeing the spin that people put on the pieces through their non-verbal interpretations. Interstitiality, indeed!

[fireriven.livejournal.com]

And now I have posted pictures! Also, I friended you. Hello!

I'm right there with you in the glee and delight of seeing the other bits of interstitiality.

[vschanoes.livejournal.com]

OK, this is the single most beautiful piece of jewelry I've ever seen, and I want it desparately. I'm honored and covetous and thank you.

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Heheheh - my pleasure! I'm flattered, and hope you get a fraction as much glee out of the piece as I got out of the story.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

That is lovely.

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The one problem is, now I'm trying to resist the temptation to start making jewelry out of *all* of the books I like.

And I have a piece of obsidian that screams "Invidiana." Just sayin' ....

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

@_@

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Darling, this is stunning, in concept and in execution - and in verbal description, too, of course! How funny to think that just last Friday we were sitting around teh livingroom with Tempest & Veronica opening the boxes of jewelry people had sent in, and joking "too bad no one's going to be able to do anything for 'Rats'. . . !"

Ha. And Go You.

[ebess.livejournal.com]

Oh, my Gawd!!

I was wondering if you were gonna do something!! This is incredible! (And thank you kindly for the props on mine as well.)

Also, it's good to "see" you! I've barely been on the LJ, I miss catching up. :) Hope all's well and you're enjoying married bliss!