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Ex Corpore



The title, Ex Corpore (literally “from the body”), comes from the designation for a type of relic derived from the body of a saint. This piece was inspired by a collection of reliquaries in the medieval collection of the Metropolitan Museum.  It calls into question the arbitrary nature of what is sometimes held as sacred.

From my statement about this piece



Part of the collection of reliquaries in the medieval collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
A reliquary for bones of St. Valentine in the Met collection.
I bought these on eBay years ago. Like other objects, they are never the same after being used in a project.
A little off at the elbow
There is a real Zen to cutting dovetails by hand with saw and chisel. This is a truly amazing piece of mahogany - it made the process easy.
Pins and tails cut
Glazing the front glass panel.

There is not really too much that I can say about this piece. It reflects my trying to come to terms with my early Catholic upbringing and seminary experiences.


All work copyright © Ray Martin and respective artists and authors.