On naming a sculpture, scientific nomenclature and the strength of an oak tree

While Atlas held the world aloft on his mighty shoulders, Aristotle contemplated the relationships of living entities. In doing so he reasoned the foundations of a system for the classification of the natural world. Over the millennia this system was taken and refined by later scholars of natural history, until Carolus Linnaeus in the eighteenth century arrived at the ‘binomial’ system of assigning a universal name to a species. Hence Quercus robur, the common oak. The first part Quercus specifies the genus (a group that has characteristics in common, always written beginning with a capital and in italic), and robur the species (always lower case italic and species specific). By convention these names usually derive from Greek or Latin.

You may ask what has this to do with my art work? Well let me explain. As a visual artist I love creating, but once I have finished the work I really cannot be bothered about a name for it. It should work on its own, as a viewer you will make of it as you interpret. The thing is I very often get asked what a sculpture is called, or when being asked about a certain sculpture a name helps to avoid confusion with another. Therefore a name for my sculpture is not only useful, but as individual and unique creations I have eventually arrived at the conclusion they deserve their own specific name.

Hippocampus quercusat Natural Surroundings Norfolk
To view this sculpture and others by the auther click on
http://www.lisatreadwell.co.uk/woodsculpture.html

In the case of Hippocampus quercus, this particular sculpture kind of reminded me of a sea horse or something that lives under the sea, but seahorse, sub aqua or sea monster just did not sound right. I had fun creating this sculpture and so wanted a name that had a quirky sound to it.

I have always enjoyed the sound of the scientific names of dragonflies. They roll off the tongue in a multi syllabic flow - that is once you get the hang of pronouncing them. For example  Sym - pet - rum - sang - guin - e - um the ruddy darter which to my mind has an equally satisfying sound to it with its hint of expletive. Of course the reference is to the blood rich colouration of the dragonfly’s body and its darting nature.

The genus name for a sea horse is Hippocampus; it comes from the greek Hippos meaning horse and Kampos meaning sea monster, I think you will agree this has a satisfying sound to it. Hippocampus on its own is fine but not quite right, the sculpture is made of oak, so why not take Quercus which is latin for oak and is again a genus name, but for my sculpture I shall use it as the species name - hence Hippocampus quercus. Behold a new species is born, an oaken equine sea monster, which is sculpted from a fallen bough of Quercus robur. In latin robur means strengh. Quercus robur is strong like Atlas; its timber has held aloft the earth in the form of pit props and circumnavigated the worlds mighty oceans as ships. Two thousand or more individuals of Quercus robur making up any one ship. Quercus is renowned for its strength and endurance and unlike Atlas is no mythological being but a real entity who harbors in its cathedral of roots, trunk, bark, branches and foliage over four hundred other species all with their own scientific binomial.  Aristotle could not fail to be impressed.

Neozephyrus quercus the purple hairstreak butterfly sat on oak leaves,
the caterpillars of which feed on oak.
For more information on this butterfly visit
http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Butterfly/32/Butterfly.html?ButterflyId=42

www.lisatreadwell.co.uk