- (Not a fully formed theory here) I feel like chicken eggs are, perhaps, the last symbol of tenderness — being gentle! — that all, regardless of political affiliation, can safely share, and that's *also* why they've maintained such a revered place in art. Anecdotal example: the "I give my dog (or baby) an egg" trend on social media. They show up on my feed from both left and right-leaning social media accounts, but the conceit is the same: how well the egg is handled reflects a certain virtuousness of the pet or child to be celebrated (despite their obvious lack of faculties). Everyone wants the baby to coo over the egg and hold it tenderly, lay it down softly.
(Aware that this is a stretch but) In a rife time when it seems that even basic human decency can't be agreed upon between neighbors, eggs represent some undeniable human capacity for kindness and delicate handling. There is something that everyone agrees we don't want to smash, we don't want to hurt, we don't want to ruin.
(Human eggs, not encased in a frail calcium shell, are a different matter.)
(just discovered your substack, am already in love with it and appreciate how many new things I've learned!)
Adding two things to the egg discourse:
- Bowl in Eggs by Jeff Koons (https://jeffkoons.com/artwork/celebration/bowl-eggs) - the sensationalism of this piece perhaps has equally to do with the universal love of eggs as much as Koons' commodified approach to art (which I'd love your thoughts on! Koons, Warhol, consumer pop art and the art industry: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/07/31/larry-gagosian-profile)
- (Not a fully formed theory here) I feel like chicken eggs are, perhaps, the last symbol of tenderness — being gentle! — that all, regardless of political affiliation, can safely share, and that's *also* why they've maintained such a revered place in art. Anecdotal example: the "I give my dog (or baby) an egg" trend on social media. They show up on my feed from both left and right-leaning social media accounts, but the conceit is the same: how well the egg is handled reflects a certain virtuousness of the pet or child to be celebrated (despite their obvious lack of faculties). Everyone wants the baby to coo over the egg and hold it tenderly, lay it down softly.
(Aware that this is a stretch but) In a rife time when it seems that even basic human decency can't be agreed upon between neighbors, eggs represent some undeniable human capacity for kindness and delicate handling. There is something that everyone agrees we don't want to smash, we don't want to hurt, we don't want to ruin.
(Human eggs, not encased in a frail calcium shell, are a different matter.)
It has always been the egg preceding the chicken.