![]() DANIEL E. KELM
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The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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The closed box. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
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The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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Inside the box lid. This book is part of a series, the color scheme of which is alchemical. Yellow relates to the element Air. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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A first glimpse inside the box reveals shaped page panels and a metal tube. The Investigations series is the earliest example of Kelm bindings with no permanent hinging; i.e., the pins can be removed and the pages completely disassembled. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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One slot holds the square page panels and another slot holds the triangular page panels. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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The metal tube contains the pins that will be used to hold the binding together. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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An aerial view of the inside of the box shows the posts that keep the tube in place. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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In addition to the pins, the tube contains a paper scroll. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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The paper scroll depicts a possible configuration of pages. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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The pages can be assembled to create two of the Platonic solids (a series of simple, regular polyhedral forms first written about by Plato): a cube and an octahedron. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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Here you see all the pages combined to form a cubo-octahedron—which means that it is an integration of a cube and an octahedron. |
![]() DANIEL E. KELM
|
The series of unique books Investigations: The Four Elements draws upon Kelm’s and collaborator Tim Ely’s shared interest in alchemy and sacred geometry. Each book consists of a set number of interlocking panels that can be assembled into one or more shapes forming Platonic solids. The Platonic solids—tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron—are polyhedrons with congruent sides, edges, and angles. Although these five shapes were known prior to Plato, they are specifically mentioned in his dialogue Timaeus. In this work, Plato describes these solids as the building blocks of matter, equating the tetrahedron with the element of fire, the cube with earth, the octahedron with air, the icosahedron with water, and the dodecahedron with the materials that form the stars and the cosmos. —Aprile Gallant, Curator, Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Smith College Museum of Art Book sculpture by Kelm. Painting and surface treatments by Ely. Held in a private collection. hide
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The partially pinned cubo-octahedron. Ely has this to say about his work: “What I’m trying to do is assemble symbols in such a way that a shift occurs in the viewer. Language doesn’t have to be verbal or visual. It can be a sensation. It can be in the form of signals. My marks depart from meaning but they’re not meaningless. They just have a different internal matrix.” |
one cottage street #5 • easthampton, ma, u.s.a. • 01027 |
book galleries
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daniel.kelm@mac.com |