Thirty Pieces of Silver

Cornelia Parker – 1988-9

Thirty Pieces of Silver 1988-9 by Cornelia Parker born 1956 Thirty Pieces of Silver 1988-9 by Cornelia Parker born 1956

This installation piece included over a thousand silver objects, including plates, spoons, candlesticks, trophies, cigarette cases, teapots and trombones. They were crushed and arranged into disc shaped groups, suspended a foot from the floor by fine wires. The title relates to the biblical story when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

Cornelia Parker wanted to change the objects meaning, visibility, worth and by flattening them she did this literally. She thought that the silver had more potential when crushed and their everyday meanings had gone. This piece is about materiality and anti-matter.

From: TATE

– This piece has made me think about objects in a different way. How deforming them can give them a different, but still notable meaning.

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