Bitter Cup of Tea

Price: Not for sale

Written by Coni Kalinowski

The piece by Punch and myself was originally titled Greed, then changed by Peter Jakubowski for their show to "Bitter Cup of Tea."  It was intended to be commentary upon the destructive impact of massive inequities of wealth and unbridled greed.  The cup is decorated with gold luster with handles of rainbows and clouds, and the figures depicted on it are partying blindfolded.  The cup itself has holes in it - greed is never satisfied; the cup can never be full.  The saucer depicts an apocalyptic scene of death, drought, and destruction, fed only by the "trickle down" from the lavish party above.  The piece is intended to evoke the emotions associated with this social dilemma.  The cup is bright, and fun, and seductive, while the saucer is, well, a downer - yet they are intimately, causally connected.