Mr Melting Men (Icecream, Snowman and Chocolate), 2004, which belongs to Collection Pictet, reveals something deeper under the surface, linked to the human condition and non-Western artistic practices.
Created in Ghana by artisan Samuel Nash based on original drawings by Olaf Breuning, the three wooden sculptures do more than take up a national tradition of ornamenting functional coffins that started about fifty years ago; they cheerfully represent the idea of disappearance through the image of a snowman, an ice-cream cone and a chocolate bar that—as they smile and give us the thumbs-up—are waiting to melt.
Created in Ghana by artisan Samuel Nash based on original drawings by Olaf Breuning, the three wooden sculptures do more than take up a national tradition of ornamenting functional coffins that started about fifty years ago; they cheerfully represent the idea of disappearance through the image of a snowman, an ice-cream cone and a chocolate bar that—as they smile and give us the thumbs-up—are waiting to melt.
