Of Rope and Chain Her Bones are Made

September 29, 2022 - May 6, 2023

Presented by City of Bakersfield and the Bryce & Florence York Fund, with additional support from
Andrea R. Hill, CPA, AAC, and Brandy Sweeney

Sappho, the ancient Greek poet, sought to “write words more naked than flesh, stronger than bone, more resilient than sinew, sensitive than nerve.” Analogies between artistic inspiration and human form are equally embodied in the work of the nine LA women in this exhibition. The evidence of their hand is revealed in the use of elemental materials, dichotomies of physical strength and fragility, as well as palpable manifestations of energy. There is a bodily relationship between artist and material, a corporeal coalescing of anatomy with the raw earthly matter of clay, fibers, and fire. Tactile and raw materials are employed by these artists in repetitive acts and rhythmic processes. Systems of production result in patterned arterial forms not unlike the work of famed sculptors Eva Hesse and Ruth Asawa.

Artists include:

Lavialle Campbell, Sydney Croskery, Pamela Smith Hudson, Taylor Kibby, Christy Matson, Blue McRight, Brittany Mojo, Claudia Parducci, and Diane Silver.

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