Display by Jeffrey Shortt

Commentary by Richard Turner

“Checkmate” by Jeffrey Shortt is a witty take on contemporary stone display. Imagining the Gobi Desert ventifacts as chess pieces and thereby transporting them from the esoteric world of viewing stone appreciation into the pop culture world of Harry Potter’s Wizard’s Chess is a bold creative gambit. The stones beautifully embody the properties of the magical Wizard’s chess pieces, which are described as being alive and moving on their own. The stones dance and whirl as if choreographed by an unseen force. They appear to be in conversation with each other, as if plotting their next move. They not only personify the magical properties of Harry Potter’s chess pieces, but they also exemplify the Chinese concept of qi, the life force that animates the universe. I have never been a chess player. If I had been introduced to the game with a Gobi Desert ventifact set, I might have taken it up. Who knows?