Curiosa: Celebrity Relics, Historical Fossils, and Other Metamorphic Rubbish

by Barton Lidice Benes

Barton Benes imbues mundane objects with the mystical power of holy relics. He assembles modern-day curiosity cabinets, or reliquaries, out of everyday objects that have been touched by fame. From such celebrity-owned articles as Madonna's panties, Bill Clinton's throat lozenge, O. J. Simpson's glove, Larry Hagman's gallstone, and glass from the car crash in which Princess Diana died, Benes creates an art that is as arresting as it is unique. Whether his creativity is fueled by discards with the pedigree of fame or infamy, such as a Frank Sinatra fingernail clipping or the Son of Sam's hair, or by unusual and strange objects from human and natural history, such as mummy dust, Benes mounts and labels the items and assembles them into mini-museums that are alternately provocative, disturbing, and amusing, but always compelling.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

132 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 2002

Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

At once hilarious and heartfelt.

[David Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think we have had this for years and I only got around to reading it today. IT was wild. He takes little pieces of historical or celebrity individuals and make a relicoray of them. The book was filled with these relics and much of the stories of how they got into Benes's hands. Some of the pieces had heavy meaning like the ones to do with blook and AIDS. The ones about the relics from the OJ Simpson trial was just bordering on the silly. A great way to look at the things we keep and the things that have no meaning until we force that meaning on them.

[Francine Fang · Rating 4 out of 5]

About everyday life. About value.

[Debra Komar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, if somewhat bewildering, art project. Benes has collected "relics" from celebrities, serial killers, and other notables. Most of these are strange and wonderful in their own way (jelly beans from Ronal Reagan's desk, urine from Sly Stallone - that sore of thing). All are mounted on heavy white stock with handwritten inscriptions.
Some of the historical pieces are a little more disturbing. There are bone fragments from ossuary and catacombs around the world - things that are not meant to be taken.
The idea is great, and for those pieces that he comes by honestly, it is a fun historical/art project. The others need to have a bit more explanation as to their source, in order to put the reader at ease that these are not just pilfered items.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic art project (or obsession)!

The behind the scenes stories about how Barton Lidice Benes came across the relics in his collection are more interesting than the relics themselves. It's so interesting to think about the pieces of rubbish that have meaning to us, like the napkin that a celebrity once used to wipe souffle off her lips. That object has been closer to fame/infamy/power than we have, and we hope that by touching the object too we'll be closer to the source of interest. It's so silly, really, because if you didn't know the object's history, you probably would have thought it's something to throw away and discard, not revere.

This book was incredible.

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but the formatting of the book stole away from its content. Overly ambitious typesetting, not nearly enough photographic content considering the source materials. I finished wondering if the author was truly happy with this book's chronicle of his collecting or if this just barely scratched the surface (which is my impression).

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is akin to peeking into someone's underwear drawer and poking to the hidden this and that's under the veneer of "civilized life." This is the absolute most interesting visual picnic - a virtual wunderkammer of iconic detritus. A good dip in and "read" a bit book.

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title "Curiosa" correctly sums up the book. It goes through the process of the artist who collects and assembles small items into a large work, a miniature museum of curious objects. I am imagining his studio as packrat-esque.

[manatee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely fascinating and gruesome book that is not for the squeamish. A thoughtful,beautiful and very amusing examination of our notions of art and celebrity.

[Scot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book full of weird shizit. The artist in me loved it. Metamorphic Rubbish? I don't remember that.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit creepy but a lot fascinating. :)

[Enid · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderfully strange and interesting