Today I began with the cob only, by cutting off the kernels and then shaving as close to the cob as I could get with the knife that I was using. I wasn’t sure what to do next, so I started popping out the small pieces still in the cob with a fork. I’d like to note here that for some reason I am generally compelled to use kitchen utensils when working with the corn. This could be because it’s still considered food in my mind, and when you work with food you use kitchen utensils. Or maybe I’m afraid of making a mess of my expensive tools. Either way, I used a fork for this excavation.
What I ended up with was a spiraling pattern of holes. This actually took me a while to achieve, since the pieces of kernel were very stubborn, but it didn’t look very impressive. I decided to try attaching some of the husk to the cob like a bow, and played around with that. When it was finished, I attached a hook and hung it on the wall, kind of inspired by a project in my ceramics class that challenged us to make sculptural art that hangs on the wall.
I am also interested in the pattern on the cob when the kernels have been cut off. There is a sort-of bee’s honeycomb pattern, interlocking hexagons, although some are somewhat uneven. I once heard that the hexagon pattern and size of honeycombs is the exact shape and size for optimal ventilation in the hive. It’s interesting how nature works! I wonder what the significance of this design is for corn?
Digging kernel pieces out takes a lot of patience, and the cob is relatively resistant to the insertion of wire. This method is definitely less satisfying than the projects I have previously done, as more work is done for little results.
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