© Elwood Herring 30-4-99
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And if you care to step this way,
our most valuable exhibit
is here on display.
This magnificent composition
is known to us simply as
The Last Work of Man.
It has undergone extensive restoration
after countless millennia of neglect,
lost amid the ruins of ancient Earth.
But now we can reveal to you
this priceless artefact
in all its intended glory.
(Your guide books will indicate
all the most notable details of the piece.)
See how the minutely detailed framework
is decorated with the finest gold leaf
which we believe was considered valuable.
Notice also the many layered textures around the base
designed to draw your attention towards
the twisted, tortured torso
which shouts out at us in exquisite silent pain.
In contrast, the second movement
provides a counter-melody of untold melancholy
which is only resolved after a passionate climax
when it encounters the profound but inescapable truth
of the motto theme
which permeates the whole work.
Hidden inside the main section
you can just make out a complex design
which radiates stark, powerful emotions.
This is the most disturbing aspect of all -
everyone who encounters it
experiences a different impression.
Those of you with a sensitive disposition
please avert your gaze now.
We have done extensive research
into this distressing vision
and we believe we know what it is.
It is a human face -
possibly the artist’s self portrait
frozen in the agony of creation
amidst his own destruction.
We will probably never know
what inspired this tortured soul
to create such an enigmatic masterpiece.
Unfortunately, despite its intricate subtleties,
it tells us nothing about
the wasteland world of its origin
other than the few facts we already know -
it is all that remains intact
of Mankind’s shattered world.
...
Moving on to our next exhibit, we have here…
Visitors: