Breaking Bad, c. 2022, edition 2 of 3 by British visual artist Cordelia Plunket, AKA Holy Moly.
This darkly comic mixed-media diorama is set within a restored mid-century mahogany television cabinet, dating from 1953, and presents a taxidermied white rat embodying the bearded Walter White, clad in a yellow hazmat suit, and confronting a glacier of blue crystal. The artwork gathers and incorporates the universe of the series like incriminating evidence: Heisenberg's hat, firearms, bundles of cash, a Los Pollos Hermanos bucket heavy with blue, passports poised for flight, a Wilmington cigarette packet alluding to ricin, the poison itself, and laboratory ephemera. One of the show's most iconic images is reimagined here in a wickedly detailed piece.
The diorama incorporates hand-painted elements, a yak-hair beard, 3D-printed components, integrated lighting powered by an electrical cord, and multi-material set dressing and props. The reverse is signed in marker "Holy Moly 2022 2/3," identifying this as edition two of three.
The piece is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the artist. Dimensions: 42.5 cm x 50.75 cm x 91 cm (16.75" x 20" x 35.75")
Contains electronics; see electronics notice in the Buyer's Guide.
Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Buyer's Guide.
About the Artist:
Cordelia Plunket, also known as Art by Holy Moly, invites you into a world of miniature diorama artworks that transport you to cinematic and musical moments, infused with dark, ironic humour. Each vignette is designed to capture a filmic or iconic moment. Each work is bespoke, full of intricate detail and tiny handmade parts, with some the sum of several months' work. The dioramas are beautifully housed in vintage bell jars (recognisable for their "blood-spattered" ceilings or snow-capped lids) and stunning retro television sets. Her artworks are in the collections of some of the world's biggest rock stars, film icons and royalty. Some of these scenes are reimagined as hand-embellished prints, forming a distinctive collection that adds a new dimension to her work. She is also an award-winning music/film producer and has received accolades, including the Royal Television Society Craft & Design Award for Adele at the Royal Albert Hall, and has collaborated with global legends such as David Bowie, The Prodigy, Dr Dre, Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails.