Ornament and Crime

An unfamiliar merging of two memorable entities from Valcovsky’s childhood within the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the delft — or ‘blue onion’ — pattern sits awkwardly on the iconic bust, as though tattooed. ‘Ornament & Crime’ hints at how an infamous icon can become remarkably commonplace and ornamental in universal usage, Lenin’s fearsome reputation distilled down to a decorative element that sits alongside the earthenware upon a mantlepiece. The title is a tongue-in-gesture to the work of Adolf Loos, deriving from his 1910 lecture that attacked ornamental works of art in modern society.