A Winged Pole*

              Sharp, narrow gaps – 
       They open – : 
                           The wood, split 
          in the soft brown section
              of a thick bamboo pole.
          The bamboo pole
                   shows its typical bulges:
               Rings
                         They form, in places
                              all around it. 
         At the top of the object
           the wood has been dyed : 
                   The color – 
                       a warm, earthen ochre.
     The lower part 
           of the bamboo pole
          has been split open – 
      half of it has been
                                 taken away – 
           the other half
             is colored dark brown.
            A found object,
         a large, jagged piece
                  of slate material,
                 quite thick –
               quite heavy, perhaps –
                 forms a strange shape.
             It has been inserted
                           into the split 
                                     bamboo segment.
                 It leans against the wall,
                     supporting the pole segments – 
                           the wood
                        that stands out
                                      in front of the wall.
                            Suspended, there – 
                             resting on the slate.
                        Resting on this strange leg – 
                           this leg that could be
                                     an eagle’s wing.
                                           A vulture’s wing…
                                     Growing from the earth.
                                         Growing from out of the floor
                                     of the exhibition room
 

* Strange, surrealist object that it is, this winged pole has so many shadows, 
so many ways of appearing. Don’t I see in it a winged bamboo flute? 
A winged penis? And what else? Time will tell. 

Jean-George Massart,
Bamboe, leisteen, rode oker, vuur (1992)
17 x 9 x 54 cm
 
 
 

         Gefluegelter Bambus *

              Scharfe, enge Luecken – 
       Sie oeffnen sich : 
                            Das Holz, gespalten 
          in dem weichen braunen Abschnitt
              eines dicken Bambusrohrs.
          Das Bambusrohr
                   weist die typischen
                                          Verdickungen auf:
               Ringe
                         Sie bilden sich, hier und dort
                              ganz um es herum. 
         An der Spitze des Gegenstands 
           ist das Holz gefaerbt worden: 
                   Die Farbe – 
                       ein warmes, erdiges Ocker.
     Der untere Teil 
           des Bambusrohrs
          wurde aufgespalten. 
      Die Haelfte ist
                           weggenommen – 
           die andere Haelfte
             dunkelbraun eingefaerbt.
            Ein gefundener Gegenstand,
         ein grosses, gezacktes Stueck
                  Schiefermaterial,
                 ziemlich dick –
               ziemlich schwer, vielleicht –
                 bildet eine seltsame Form.
             Es ist eingefuegt
                           in das aufgeschnittene 
                                     Bambussegment.
                 Es lehnt sich an die Wand,
                     stuetzt die Rohrsegmente – 
                    das Holz
                                das sich abhebt
                                      vor der Wand.
                            Es haengt, dort – 
                             ruht auf Schiefer.
                        Ruht auf diesem seltsamen Bein – 
                           diesem Bein das ein
                                     Adlerfluegel sein koennte.
                                           Der Fluegel eines Geiers…
                                     Wachsend, aus der Erde.
                                         Wachsend, aus dem Fussboden
                                           des Ausstellungsraums