Fire and art

December 10, 2002 8:26 AM

Should art be destroyed?Burned, perhaps? David Mach sculpts heads from live matches of different colors, then burns the matchhead. Fascinating movies included. (via SeattleFools newsletter)
posted by blindcarboncopy (9 comments total)

David Mach has one of the worst designed web sites I've ever seen. Frames within frames within frames, for no apparant reason, and stupid javascript pop-ups that actually prevent you from clicking on some links.
Truly dire.
posted by Mwongozi at 8:48 AM on December 10, 2002

I was blown away at first. "My god, he's carving matchheads?! Look at the detail!"

Er, no.

He's gluing huge numbers of matches together, heads-out, to create these large sculptures. At least, that's what it sure looks like to me.

Still very cool.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:53 AM on December 10, 2002

Reminds me of the Northern Exposure episode where Chris makes Holly burn his paint-by-numbers "masterpiece".
posted by soplerfo at 9:06 AM on December 10, 2002

David Mach is best known for his nuclear submarine sculpture that someone else burned.
posted by liam at 9:08 AM on December 10, 2002

I think it's terribly clever.... and the results are really beautiful. I hope he's not setting fire to all of them. I like his sculptures using coat hangers... and the cartoonish gargoyles are great too.
posted by Witty at 9:16 AM on December 10, 2002

I'd like to seem him make the sculptures out of sparklers.
posted by Stan Chin at 9:25 AM on December 10, 2002

like sparkler bombs?
posted by jessamyn at 9:45 AM on December 10, 2002

It was outside for about a week before it was destroyed by an arsonist who died later from terrible burns.

Interesting artistic statement.
posted by rotifer at 11:00 AM on December 10, 2002

I'd be more impressed if he stopped being a pansy, bought an old master drawing and burnt it. COME ON. IT'S LONELY BEING THE ONLY MODERN EROSTRATUS.

(In 3000AD someone will say "COME ON. IT'S LONELY BEING THE ONLY MODERN KettleBlack/David Mach")

o< o< paddywhack
posted by KettleBlack at 1:22 PM on December 10, 2002