What IS in a Name?

The Naming of Cats – T.S. Elliot

The naming of cats is a difficult matter,

It isn't just one of your holiday games;

You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter

When I tell you a cat must have three

different names.


First of all, there's the name

that the family use daily,

Such as Victor, or Jonathan,

George or Bill Bailey--

All of them sensible everyday names.

There are fancier names

if you think they sound sweeter,

Some for the gentlemen,

some for the dames;

Such as Plato, Admetus,

Electra, Demeter--

But all of them sensible everyday names.



But I tell you,

a cat needs a name that's particular,

A name that is peculiar, and more dignified,

Else how can he

keep up his tail perpendicular,

Or spread out his whiskers,

or cherish his pride?



Of names of this kind,

I can give you a quorum,

Such as Munkustrap, Quazo or Coripat,

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellyrum--

Names that never belong

to more than one cat.



But above and beyond

there's still one name left over,

And that is the name that you will never guess;

The name

that no human research can discover--

But The Cat Himself Knows,

and will never confess.



When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

The reason, I tell you, is always the same:

His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation

Of the thought, of the thought,

of the thought of his name:

His ineffable effable

Effanineffable

Deep and inscrutable singular Name.


OK she's flipped! Why put this in a sculptors' newsletter? Well I've only just finished processing the images taken at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2008. Honestly sculptures with holes in them should be banned! The same as swimmers in the 50 metres races shouldn't be allowed to have hyphenated names.
But the thing that you will notice as you scroll through the online catalogue is that some sculpture images don't look like the same work... and some works look remarkably similar to others by a different name..... please could everyone take responsibility for their own work –
a unique sculpture needs a unique name!

Jenny Rickards