Long live The New flesh!

September 23, 2009 9:41 AM

"All of which is a long way of saying that, to construct a new church of anatomical horror and to do so out of stone, as Al-Mehdari seems to be suggesting, is a fascinating idea. " - Body Baroque
posted by Artw (24 comments total)

This is how bad the economy is getting. The former designer of Lord Grimlore's Dark Fortress Of Eversorrow has to shop around his services.
posted by The Whelk at 9:50 AM on September 23, 2009

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:56 AM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

It's been done.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:08 AM on September 23, 2009

Also, the Egyptians and the Buddhists already did this.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:11 AM on September 23, 2009

Also, this was Antonio's winning design on HGTV Design Star Season 4.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:17 AM on September 23, 2009

See also, also.
posted by Artw at 10:18 AM on September 23, 2009

Beautiful images, thanks.
posted by idiopath at 10:25 AM on September 23, 2009

Also.
posted by electroboy at 10:26 AM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

Is anybody else missing the "horror" aspect of this? I'm seeing some interesting forms, but horror isn't there.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 10:30 AM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

Woh. I think the Capela dos Ossos is the creepiest so far, electroboy. Using the bones in the art and architecture is one thing. Hanging desicated skeletons, though... Not the way I would have gone.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:31 AM on September 23, 2009

> It's been done.

Only halfway on two counts. First, the bones are decorations applied to surfaces (we could quibble about the chandelier, so handwave it). Second, Al-Mehdari's work is not built out of bone (no desecration of human or animal here) but are designed based on the mechanics of organic structural forms, taken to extremes that emphasize the Cthulhoid aspects. It's one thing to see a rack of femurs lined up the sides of a Gothic arch, but another to see a horribly recognizable, organic-seeming iliac crest rising up the side of the building with fishbone-rib flying buttresses holding it in place.

BLDGBLOG's suggestion of going a step further and executing Al-Mehdari's work out of stone takes the visceral element of these designs into a human world; the emotions we feel on seeing such organic forms, combined with the sensations inherent in natural building materials such as stone would be... well, they'd really be something.
posted by ardgedee at 10:45 AM on September 23, 2009 [4 favorites]

I wouldn't go into one of those buildings in case someone nukes it from space just to be sure.
posted by digsrus at 10:58 AM on September 23, 2009

Also from Bartlett: Tobias Klein
posted by Artw at 11:01 AM on September 23, 2009

Hanging desicated skeletons, though... Not the way I would have gone.

No kidding. As if you needed more evidence that monks in the middle ages were seriously fucked up.
posted by electroboy at 11:11 AM on September 23, 2009

Here's some more images from the Capella dos Ossos. Not included in that set, but highly creepy is this shot.
posted by electroboy at 11:15 AM on September 23, 2009

Is it just me, or is Jesus singing show tunes in that last one?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:18 AM on September 23, 2009

Skull, skull, skull... It's the Christian version of Warhammer 40k.
posted by Artw at 11:21 AM on September 23, 2009

I'm seeing some interesting forms, but horror isn't there.

I always wondered who would worship the Great Old Ones. Well, now I know.
posted by adamdschneider at 11:40 AM on September 23, 2009

Al-Mehdari is quite the sculptor. I fail, however, to see how this qualifies as architecture.
posted by daniel striped tiger at 1:09 PM on September 23, 2009

As if you needed more evidence that monks in the middle ages were seriously fucked up.

This is where we make the point that you must not judge other times and cultures.

(On the plus side, they were dab hands at some pretty good alkyhol.)
posted by IndigoJones at 3:42 PM on September 23, 2009

Those who do not judge other times and cultures are doomed to repeat it. And stuff.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:46 PM on September 23, 2009

I always wondered who would worship the Great Old Ones. Well, now I know.
posted by adamdschneider

Worship? never. My atheism cuts in all directions. "He Who is Not to be Named" my ass. But I'd like to meet the vicar and get a tour of his cathedral. That would be neat.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 4:15 PM on September 23, 2009

(Kind of like that, Ms Henderson.)
posted by IndigoJones at 10:30 AM on September 24, 2009

Hanging desicated skeletons, though...

"Ye FED"
posted by Artw at 10:31 AM on September 24, 2009