by Nancy Stohlman

You Twisted My Spite Into Sculpture—1997
United States

Mixed media: garbage bags, plaster of Paris, broken jewelry, straws, boyfriend

On permanent loan from the artist

Artist Statement: Mask making has always held a special place in my work. I believe there is an inherent fear of asphyxiation present in the creative relationship. This piece began as a mask but I soon realized a simple mask no longer was able to encompass the plight of current society—today’s citizen wants love but feels trapped. My work explores the implications of falsifying our true nature. The piece is really about transforming everyday negativity into art.

The crowd clustered around the sculpture, the crude plaster, the bits of broken jewelry cemented into the patina. The figure stood almost defiantly, two straws poking from the nostrils and the only movement, a sort of desperate darting of the eyeballs.

Originally published as part of the Exquisite Duet series–the first line “You twisted my spite into sculpture” was provided to the authors. Read original here.