World's Most Expensive Paper Clip — Episode 2: Al Christensen Strikes Back

Yesterday afternoon Al weighed in with a comment on Episode 1 that TypePad, my blog host, inexplicably blocked (blocked comments for no apparent reason happen on a regular basis and are not of my doing — there's no solution for it that I can see).

Here's what Al had to say:

"Though it might be the most elegant paper clip, it's not the most expensive.

For example, you can get paper clips designed by Keith Haring [below]

from QuincyShop.com for $7.95.

Or you can get a foot long paper clip [below]

for $14.88 from GreatBigStuff.com.

You can get a 14k gold paper clip/money clip [below]

for the special sale price of $632 (marked down from $1,056) from places like JewelBasket.com.

But those are cheap compared to the colossal paper clip sculpture done by pop artist Claes Oldenburg [top]."

On everything2.com I found the following about Oldenburg's creation:

"The Giant Paper Clip is a nickname for a piece of public sculpture (boringly titled 'Gateway to the Northwest') located in Vanier Park (overlooking the downtown peninsula and English Bay) in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It's a large hollow metal structure which looks like a square paper clip made of rectangular prisms. Because it is hollow, it makes glorious resounding echoing sounds when struck. (Which, take it from me, is a good way to hurt your hand. Bring a stick or something.) It's on a bit of a hill, so it makes an excellent dry spot for a picnic in the otherwise somewhat marshy park."

I find it more than a little disturbing that Al has the time and desire to find out this much about this little.

Reminds me more than a tad of someone I know....

But I digress.

[via Al Christensen's halfdemolishedkitchen]