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Art Gallery: Klingon Appraisals

Posted Sept. 5, 2018, 6:34 a.m. by Civilian K'vorth, Son of the House of Duroc (Klingon Warrior) (David Shotton)

Posted by Civilian Halai Cosgrove (Head of Science and Terraforming) in Art Gallery: Klingon Appraisals

Posted by Civilian Halai Cosgrove (Head of Science and Terraforming) in Art Gallery: Klingon Appraisals

Posted by Civilian K’vorth, Son of the House of Duroc (Klingon Warrior) in Art Gallery: Klingon Appraisals
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Snip

K’vorth followed the woman’s gaze and noticed the birds on the wires, then glanced back at the woman he could see. From his point, he could see the woman’s tattoo clearly and wondered at the time and effort that had gone into creating something as delicate and intricate as that, but at the same time, inwardly lamented that it was a plant, and not a glorious depiction of victory in battle, of tearing her enemies apart with her teeth as he back was against an erupting volcano. Her back was pretty and shapely though, he noticed.

He physically shook his head to clear that thought and strode forward, stopping a few feet away from the woman. From here, he could smell her. It wasn’t the smell of battle or healthy earth of ones home, nor was it, thankfully, the stench of his Brothers, but it was something else that he hadn’t smelt in a long time, something feminine and soft, delicate like the tattoo but at the same time, intricate. Like her hair, which would of looked better in Klingon Braids, it was the right length and color after all. K’vorth grinned at the thought, he was getting distracted.

Halai had known someone was there, but didn’t want to miss what the gallery owner had said. So she seemed to ignore him for only a moment before finally turning.

“Greetings” he announced, as politely as he could. “I am K’vorth, Son of the House of Duroc. Are these, things, what the Humans call, ‘Pinata’s’? What do they have inside of them? They do not look like great beasts taken as trophy’s and worthy of display, is that why you remove them?”

K’vorth, Son of the House of Duroc.
Art Critic.

She grinned. “No, definitely not piñatas. These”-she gestured up at the soaring birds-“are sculptures carved by lasers in stone. In this case, achroite tourmaline and quartz. I carved them from large pieces and they are, well, perhaps not a sign of my glorious battles, they are representative of battles nonetheless. Not all battles are fought with a weapon in hand.”

~Halai Cosgrove

K’vorth looked from the woman to the stone sculptures and back for a moment, and then walked under them and around in a small circle looking up at them. “Of course, many battles of the most desperate kind are fought with teeth, nails and bare hands, when there is no other option and failure is worse than death,” the Klingon stated knowingly, and then looked at the woman and placed his hands on his hips as he seemed to measure her with his eye, looking into hers. “and of course there are the battles of the mind, of the self. To find ones place in the Universe and ones inner worth, the thing we all strive to achieve, our place, the meaning of our existence, and those to whom we owe or blood, our loyalty and our love. Those battles are never glorified in tapestries or song, or weapons forged in honor of a hero. Those battles are fought alone and tribute is made in art of a more delicate kind. The song locked away in the curve of the stone or the stroke of a brush, and displayed as a silent cry of triumph or despair for those battles won or lost.”

She rewarded his apt assessment wit a soft smile that held something of a smirk in it. It was rare to find people who understood that beautiful things were not just automatically frivolous and that their deeper meanings were as distinctive and intricate as the person who created them.

K’vorth paced slowly to the nearby displays and where he could, ran a finger lightly over various pieces, ignoring the time honored politeness of not touching. “You have had many battles. The touch on these pieces is the same, the hand, the flow of the cut, the same. We are all warriors, but not all battles are fought in blood.”

K’vorth, Son of the House of Duroc

Halai secretly was glad that he touched them, since he did so with care. Her work was tactile to create and thus she felt it was often best experienced through touch as well. A concept that seemed apt for much in her life. “Indeed, you’d be right. And though I can easily defend myself in combat, I’ve found the internal battles to be the most compelling, the most worthy of celebrating.”

For just a moment, K’vorths eye seemed to glint with delight, and possibly humor when Halai mentioned being able to defend herself easily in combat. The big Klingon did not doubt it, although until he saw it for himself he was more inclined to take it with a grain of salt and let the claim prove itself one day. He wasn’t so sure about the statement that the internal battles were more worthy of celebrating. There was nothing quite like clearing out a bar full of non-believers via the windows and celebrating the victory with several ales.

“I’m not sure that their being the most worthy of celebrating would be my choice of description, or style of celebration” he said with a smirk as he ran a finger along the ridge line of one piece almost like a caress, “Although those battles of the self do lend themselves to more expression like this, a subtle celebration that gives cause for reflection on the tides of that inner battle and the flow of the struggle overcome, worked along the piece and making those that view it wonder at the forces at play, the loss, the demands and the revolution of self worked along the folds and what that meant to the artist. Whether the battle was won or lost is known only by the one who worked the piece, but the commitment to it, the detail, reveals the strength of the struggle.”

“I have not met many Klingons who appreciate art the way you do. Is that just you, or am I missing out on something important about Klingon society?” Cosgrove knew either or both could be true.

~Halai Cosgrove, Head of S&T

He gave a soft chuckle and withdrew his hand from the works, turning to regard the woman again and as he did, a hand rose to the pendant he wore. It was carved in the image of a pair of horns, down turned and with exquisite detail. That same symbol was included in a more elaborate tattoo on the right side of his bald head, not overly large, but present. “Klingons were not always brutal warriors, as you likely know” he told her, “In my lords time, the great God, Kvaar’ton, warriors were needed and celebrated, but he was not a warrior first. He was a builder, and as such, worked amazing feats into what he lent his hands too. Poets praised his accomplishments, making art of the voice and song.”

He moved over from the artwork, glanced at the birds once more and then came to stand near her, less than an arms reach away. “Many Klingons, many people, only value the battles, the songs of war and victory, the art of the physical accomplishment. To understand my people, however, and other people on a deeper level than even the blade of my Bat’leth can reach into them, we must understand the struggle within and accept that it shapes the art of the being just as much, if not more, than the art of their victories in battle. By understanding those battles within, we can appreciate the battles without in a deeper way. We can look at the curves and edges of the person and take an understanding, a sense of the struggle they have led, and honor their struggle with more appreciation than a mere celebration.” Pausing he looked at the woman and simply grinned. “But that’s probably just me.”

K’vorth, Son of the House of Duroc


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