Apparition (Series: Voynich Manuscript)

Apparition (Series: Voynich Manuscript)

About the Voynich Manuscript Series:

I am inspired by the Voynich Manuscript, an unsolved mystery from the 15th century. This manuscript is written in an unknown script, but I am even more fascinated by its enigmatic artwork that is unlike anything in other medieval art.

I bring the manuscript’s drawings to life in three dimensions, using porcelain, flameworked glass, and illuminated plasma. Each sculpture reflects a meticulous process and attention to detail, capturing the idiosyncrasies of the Voynich Manuscript’s original artist. These strange plants, figures and structures that I sculpt are clearly recognizable from the manuscript’s pages, yet their meaning and context remains obscured - until one day when perhaps we are able to read the text. My sculptures embody this mystery, facilitating a dialogue between it and the modern viewer. 

About this sculpture:

"Apparition" is modelled after the botanical illustration on folio 15v of the Voynich Manuscript.

Materials:

Flameworked borosilicate glass, gold luster

2018
h 15 x b 15 x d 7 cm
Cary Rapaport

Cary Rapaport