These paperweights do more than hold down loose paper-they tell a story. Artist and poet Marvin F. Tate preserves scenes from everyday life by “canning” them in jars.
Called “bottled emotions,” they represent the visual side of feelings and convey emotions people keep locked up inside, says Tate. When they’re not keeping documents from flying away, the paperweights can help you take a mental recess or simply be thought-provoking.
The scenes vary from the “Rave Kid,” a futuristic robot boy connected to his TV by a cable, to “Mermaid in the River,” a mermaid trapped in the polluted Chicago River.
The dreamy atmosphere is created by filling old mayonnaise, mustard, salsa and jam jars with a heavy mineral oil. Colored sand, dirt and glitter are added to fill the bottom of the jars. Pieces of old toys, wire and broken appliances-forms of “good junk”-are used as the settings, making these multipurpose desktop items a form of recycling.
“Everything has more than one life, even garbage,” says Tate, “what one person thinks is useless, I can find three or four different uses for. It’s a form of waste management.”
Bottled thoughts range in price from $15 to $50; call 312-862-8786.
