GEORGINA COBURN explores the Gothic world of Sharmanka

BILLED AS A travelling circus of kinetic sculpture, Sharmanka is as entertaining and as dark as Grimm’s original fairy tales. Wonder at the ingenious construction of performing machines made from scrap metal and carved figures – both animal and human – quickly gives way to contemplation of the dark matter of life, at least for this adult viewer.

Eduard Bersudsky’s sculptures are brought to life in 15-minute performances six times a day, beginning with a bell-ringing crow as the master of ceremonies. The performance of each machine, lit like shadow plays by Segey Jakovsky, are accompanied by a mixture of side show organ music, classical Mozart and sombre processional tunes.

Bersudsky describes his work as “pieces of junk and wood, daydreams and nightmares.” His gargoyle- like carved figures are animated in cycles of comedy and tragedy that give sinister overtones to assembled recognisable pieces from domestic life.

The harshness of life in post World War II Russia, the experience of grinding poverty and the sculptor’s experience as an electrician developed the mechanical skills, ingenuity and imaginative escapism to produce large scale kinemats that now have a permanent home in Glasgow.

Founded in St Petersburg in 1989 by Bersudsky and Theatre Director Tatyana Jakovskaya, Sharmanka exhibits the true meaning of its Russian name. The figure of the organ grinder or hurdy gurdy man symbolises the cycle of life and “changing seasons of hope and despair.” This figure is used to poignant effect in ‘Family Album’, with the moving cylinder displaying photographs from Bersudsky and Jakovskayas’ family albums.

The ‘Eternal Triangle of Love’ depicts characters from the Italian commedia del arte. The comic figure of harlequin and the tragic figure of Pierotte pull in opposite directions under the yoke of love. Between them is the female figure of death.

As each of the nine sculptures sprung to life in performance amused reactions from the small (all adult) crowd were punctuated by nervous laughter. Although a great fan of gothic aesthetics the origins of the figures and their meanings are more “Grimm” than fairytale!

© Georgina Coburn, 2006

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