A shocking anomaly in the art world surely has to be the tragically overlooked form of the hay stack, where euro-centric critics have dismissed it as an agricultural craft discipline, devoid of true creative flair. If they only left their ivory towers long enough to travel to Bangladesh or eastern India they would surely realise the error in their ways and recognise that Bengali culture has devoted centuries to the perfection of hay stack construction as a higher art form.
The first defining feature to differentiate these creations from their western counterparts is that they use rice straw rather than hay, whose structural qualities are no doubt more conducive to imaginative designs such as this delightful “magic mushroom” model.
Here we see an artist at work refining the finer sculptural lines of this “fat booty” design.
This imposing masterpiece is, in all likelihood used to scare off evil spirits or small children lurking around the farm at night.
Being prone to possession by evil spirits themselves this young pair are protected by the sign of magic eyes on the left, as well as the vigilance of their faithful cow.
Ancient fertility rites play an important role for many as is clearly demonstrated by this penile design.
Sometimes an erect form is preferred.
The action isn’t all male, as the distinctly feminine bulge of this “tit” reveals.
Early evening light perfectly compliments this “native hut” model.
The pristine lines here are facilitated by the extra stability provided by constructing the stack around an existing tree.
Every good stack deserves a cuddle – the author shortly before being carried off by police.
This particular model demonstrates the confluence of cutting edge sculptural forms with the practicality of the penile design: a small profile exposed to rain which minimises water adsorption; sloped run off to carry rain away and the overhang of the bell-end drips water away from the central trunk.
Father and daughter proudly guarding their stubby column.
Such is the prodigious fertility of some that a condom is required to suppress the excitement.
