My neighbor finished drinking the vodka that I gave her, that I'd mentioned awhile back in this thread.



So I thought I'd take a picture of it today:

Crystal Head Vodka vase

I had to open the blinds (sunlight! Owwwww!) to let some light in, so the skull would show up good for the picture.

-- Nephele
Who has a very happy (*hic!*) neighbor right now, as well as a pretty skull vase in her window.

that is so perfect...makes me want to go out and get one as well!

Indeed, I want one of these vodka bottles SO BAD, but there is nowhere nearby, that I know of, that sells this vodka.

Midi and Arc, you can get the empty bottle on eBay -- just do an eBay search for "Crystal Head Vodka." I should've thought of that before buying the vodka. But, eh, it made my neighbor happy, so it's all good.

-- Nephele

Actually, I don't mind Vodka. I mix it. And plus, I don't have a credit card so I can't go on eBay.

We actually sell that vodka at my work. Maybe the next time someone buys it I'll ask them what they plan to do with the empty bottle.

~spidey

You may already have found this, but if not, there's interesting information and some really nice display suggestions here:

http://www.crystalskulls.com/crystal-head-vodka.html

Besides the fact that the Crystal Head bottle makes a fine vase to appeal to any goth's aesthetic, I like the fact that it's an anatomically correct art piece, designed by the abstract-surrealist artist and sculptor John Alexander. (His work has been shown at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as around the world.) Sure, there're thousands of these skulls that have been sold, but since I probably won't be splashing out any cash for an original piece by Alexander, I can make do with this quite nicely.

Nice link, Darkly! Spidey, lucky you if you can get an empty bottle for free from one of your customers!

-- Nephele

Playing against type? After all, surrealism and other forms of abstract art aren't renowned for producing anatomically correct representations of the human body. Unless, of course (she said, in order to contradict herself) the anatomically correct skull is painted atop an anatomically correct flesh-and-blood body for the purposes of visual contrast. Was it Rene Magritte who painted something along those lines?

Haha! Good point! John Alexander has had a fascination for skulls due to the influence of Mexico's Day of the Dead on him -- a festival that he enjoys when he travels to Mexico.

Magritte is a favorite surrealist of mine. I also like Ray Caesar's surrealistic art.

When I was a kid, I could stand for an hour in front of Max Ernst's Antipope at the Guggenheim. If I could have any artwork at all from that museum, Antipope would be my choice.

-- Nephele

Interesting that there's a direct and immediate link between Surrealist culture and gothic culture.

Do you not find Ernst's style in that particular painting at least reminiscent of Pieter Breugel's?

Yes, Pieter Breugel, another favorite. Although I have to admit that I much prefer closeups of some of the subjects in his paintings, to better see the detail. As with the detail of his bird-masked plague doctor. (Can't remember right now which painting that's from.) He has a lot of "activity" in his paintings.

-- Nephele

How cool! It's not much more expensive than when we buy Crown Royal every now and then. ^_^

WOW, did not know that Dan Aykroyd started the Crystal Head vodka! I'm only a hop, skip and a jump away from his winery, so perhaps I CAN buy a bottle nearby! Thanks, DI!

You're welcome - I'm pleased to have been of assistance. And good luck!

Nephele, given that you clearly have a taste for surrealist art (and the Ray Caesar picture you linked to is absolutely amazing, by the way), I find myself wondering how close it is to gothic/goth art... It's off-topic here, but I wonder if it would be worth a thread...

And Wolfmammy - I didn't think Crown Royal was that expensive?