Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Frances Goodman’s Writhing Sculptures Consist of Fake Nails

Separately, each artificial nail used by South African artist Frances Goodman is a temporary, expendable object. But when the artist combines them into a single sculpture, she depicts living, “bodily forms” that defy their nature. “Some of the sculptures are abstract and consider ideas of oozing, spreading, and writhing,” the artist says, in a statement. “Others suggest snakes and scaled creatures.”

Separately, each artificial nail used by South African artist Frances Goodman is a temporary, expendable object. But when the artist combines them into a single sculpture, she depicts living, “bodily forms” that defy their nature. “Some of the sculptures are abstract and consider ideas of oozing, spreading, and writhing,” the artist says, in a statement. “Others suggest snakes and scaled creatures.”

Goodman4

Take the 2016 piece “Succubus,” below, which emulates both nature’s flora and the female form. “Ophiophilia” and “Medusa” take on the shapes of animal life, serpernts that are cohesive and menacing until further inspected.

“Let Down Your Hair” is one of the most elaborate examples of the power of this material. The site-responsive installation extends along the curved wall of the 55 5th Avenue lobby. More of Goodman’s recent work with nails was recently seen at Richard Taittiner Gallery in New York City, which featured the exhibit “Rapaciously Yours.”


The show also featured “The Dream,” an installation six years in the making. “Constructed from dozens of once-worn wedding dresses, organza, satin, and tulle, the work includes audio recordings from interviews with women divulging anxieties about how their true desires compare with the norm,” the gallery says.

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
The crucifixion of Jesus has been depicted in religious art since the 4th century CE. World renown Scottish-born artist David Mach, famous for his stunning sculptures made out of wire coat hangers, turned heads with his own depiction of the Bible's most compelling event- his "Golgotha" sculpture first debuted in his 2011 exhibition titled "Previous Light", which opened in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. The monumental piece is again provoking a strong reaction with its recent display within the 14th century walls of Chester Cathedral in England.
Tennessee based sculptor Matthew Dutton once described his works as "whimsical horrors", animal-human curiosities that are often seen lurking in assemblages of household objects. The idea of material manipulation first struck Dutton as a child, when he would build his own toys out of scrap construction materials and take things apart to see what was on the inside. Inspired by the combinations of human and animal forms that have appeared throughout art history to pop-culture, specifically Jim Henson's creatures in the 80s films Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Dutton's art employs a hybrid of visual symbols using a multitude of textures and materials. His sculptures are intended to take their viewer on a journey into surreal realms, "a larger world that dwells within their creator".
The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) in Canada is currently exhibiting some of hyperrealist sculptor Ron Mueck's most poignant works to date. The Australia born artist, recently featured in HF Vol. 30, is well known for his larger-than-life fiberglass portrait sculptures of life's key stages. This new exhibition, named "NGC@WAG: Ron Mueck" for its cooperation with the National Gallery of Canada, offers attendees a rare look at the process behind Mueck's work, including his original maquettes and studies.
While Dirk Staschke's past work has had a meticulously polished look, his latest series of sculptures for his upcoming solo show, "Executing Merit" at Seattle's Winston Wachter Fine Art, reveal the rough-hewn edges of his process. Staschke (whom we featured in HF Vol. 23) creates opulent ceramic still lifes that evoke 17th-century vanitas paintings. In his previous pieces, he labored to conceal the evidence of his hand-executed process. His latest work, however, juxtaposes pristinely glazed forms with unglazed, unrefined surfaces, exposing the craft behind Staschke's typically immaculate work. "Craft and skill have always been important in my work and by examining this further my recent sculptures have become an exercise in relinquishing control," wrote Staschke in his artist statement. "Executing Merit" opens on March 3 and will be on view through April 15.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List