Hidden Creatures
I am interested in the psychology of protection. How do we create various shields to hide behind? In this research I experimented with the use of pleasant flower patterns. This distractive camouflage is aimed at diminishing the transparency of my forms and preoccupying the viewer with the object’s surface rather than its inner life.
Contrasting shapes and materials express disharmony. Clumsy heads and legless bodies dressed in elaborate fabrics are suspended from their exterior tubular steel frameworks. Without such imposed structures these lumpy creatures, in lack of their own backbone, would inevitably melt into the floor.
Exhibition Overview
Cynthia Broan Gallery, September, 2000
Announcement
Exhibition announcement.
The show was called SKIN
A limited edition of 750 eye masks to conveniently screen out reality, 2000
3 x 8″
One at a Time
The crank rotates the inner organ to position each nozzle precisely in the center of the slot.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, polyester filling, rubber. 2000
13 x 36 x 40″
One at a Time
Detail of Crank
The crank rotates the inner organ to position each nozzle precisely in the center of the slot.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, polyester filling, rubber. 2000
13 x 36 x 40″
One at a Time
Detail of nozzle through slot.
The crank rotates the inner organ to position each nozzle precisely in the center of the slot.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, polyester filling, rubber. 2000
13 x 36 x 40″
Fixation
The creature strapped up inside has no limbs and no head. Instead only breasts to serve and fulfill her purpose. She diligently feeds into a box that seems to display a mirror image of herself, or is there an other one inside looking just the same? As long as she keeps up the feeding she can make sure the other one stays in place and remains her object if control. However, she is being controlled equally through this situation. Only once she stops feeding into the relationship can she have a life outside of this closed circuit.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, plaster, polyester filling, silicone rubber, 2000,
13 x 28 x 54″
Fixation
Detail with view into the incubation chamber.
The creature strapped up inside has no limbs and no head. Instead only breasts to serve and fulfill her purpose. She diligently feeds into a box that seems to display a mirror image of herself, or is there an other one inside looking just the same? As long as she keeps up the feeding she can make sure the other one stays in place and remains her object if control. However, she is being controlled equally through this situation. Only once she stops feeding into the relationship can she have a life outside of this closed circuit.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, plaster, polyester filling, silicone rubber, 2000,
13 x 28 x 54″
Suffocation
Initial sketch for the sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
8 x 10″
Suffocation
Materials: Steel, fabric, polyester filling, rubber, sand. 2000,
16 x 46 x 53″
Suffocation
Detail of one of the wheels.
Materials: Steel, fabric, polyester filling, rubber, sand. 2000,
16 x 46 x 53″
Complete Organism
Initial sketch for the sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
10.5 x 8.2″
Complete Organism
A creature that is so insecure, it dares to crawl out of its chamber only for a little bit and immediately seeps back into the chamber through the four holes. This body is a sort of liquid organism. Again, the pretty domestic flower pattern conveniently distracts from the psychologically charged situation of this creature.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, polyester filling, rubber, 2000,
24 x 28 x 35″
Complete Organism
Detail of wheel.
A creature that is so insecure, it dares to crawl out of its chamber only for a little bit and immediately seeps back into the chamber through the four holes. This body is a sort of liquid organism. Again, the pretty domestic flower pattern conveniently distracts from the psychologically charged situation of this creature.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, polyester filling, rubber, 2000,
24 x 28 x 35″
Complete Organism
Detail.
A creature that is so insecure, it dares to crawl out of its chamber only for a little bit and immediately seeps back into the chamber through the four holes. This body is a sort of liquid organism. Again, the pretty domestic flower pattern conveniently distracts from the psychologically charged situation of this creature.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, polyester filling, rubber, 2000,
24 x 28 x 35″
Complete organism
Detail.
A creature that is so insecure, it dares to crawl out of its chamber only for a little bit and immediately seeps back into the chamber through the four holes. This body is a sort of liquid organism. Again, the pretty domestic flower pattern conveniently distracts from the psychologically charged situation of this creature.
Materials: Steel, glass, fabric, polyester filling, rubber, 2000,
24 x 28 x 35″
Sensitivity
Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
8.5 x 11″
Squeeze
Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
6.9 x 8.9″
Prosperity
A head-, arm- and leg-less creature with latex hoses crudely affixed to her tits. She is a feeing mother filled with rice, the symbol of fertility and prosperity. Her black jersey suit is comfortable to wear around the house.
Materials: Jersey fabric, latex, masking tape, rice. 30 x 60 x 36″
Symbiosis
Initial sketch for the sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
9 x 11″
Symbiosis
Two creatures hugging a structure which also separates them at a safe distance. Both of them are dressed in a very luxurious fabric which is reminiscent of 18th century French court fabrics. The creatures are headless, leg- and armless. All they have is a body and six breasts to participate in the mutual feeding process. They only see themselves in the mirror but not the other one whom they are feeding.
Materials: Steel, mirror, fabric, polyester filling, rubber, sand, 2000,
36 x 27 x 23″
Alpine Flowers
Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
10.5 x 8.2″
Trying to Capture my Mother's Ghost
Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
8 x 9.6″
Baby filled with babies
Rice is the symbol of fertility and prosperity.
Materials: Mesh, rice, 1999,
8 x 11 x 13″
Comfort Bag
Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
6 x 7.6″
Back to itself
This creature does not want to branch out, but just feed itself to avoid change.
Materials: Fabric, latex, Polyester filling. 1999,
8 x 11 x 13″
Reaching
Initial Sketch of sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
8 x 10″
Reaching
A creature with wo long arms hugging a gigantic mirror which also separates it from it’s other side. One side of the creature is dressed in a very luxurious fabric which is reminiscent of 18th century French court fabrics, while the other one is dressed in a cheap interpretation of such fabrics. The creature is headless. All it has is two long arms to reach and feed into the mirror, seemingly wanting to complete itself with the mirror image instead of the real other side which is hidden by the mirror.
Steel, mirror, fabric, plaster, 16 x 44 x 63″
Reaching Over
Idea for a variation of sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
7.6 x 9″
Covered Mystery
Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2003
6 x 7.6″
Hexenmeister
Master of Witchcraft, Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2001
6 x 7.6″
Swiss Shield
Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2000
5.9 x 7.5″
The First Kiss
Idea for a sculpture
Gouache and pencil on paper. 2001
6 x 7.8″
Disassembling Housecoats
The first two pieces of this series One at a Time and Fixation are covered with women’s house coat fabric. They are like docile housewives quietly going about their duty, but controlling their environment in their sweetly passive aggressive manner.
Max in action
My crazy cat Max helped out where ever he could…
Dressform for Symbiosis
Each piece needed a carved dress form to drape the fabric over to create the pattern for th coat.
Sewn pieces to be stretched over decency structure
Pieces ready to be assembled with rest of the sculpture.
Various options
In order to arrive at the perfect shape I had to make many trial pieces.
Closing the piece shut
Ji came in to help me close the piece up. This was a tricky moment, as the entire sculpture is suspended in the glass.
Soldering the steel structure
The underlying steel structures are all soldered piece by piece until they can stand by themselves.
Inserting the glass panels
Each glass panel is inserted and glued in with silicone.
Tedious sewing work
Wrapping the steel structure
Stitch by stitch the steel frame is covered with furniture fabric.
Photographing art work
Taking pictures for my records and publications in the comfort of my home.
Max is helping.