installations and drawings
Silvia B.’s meticulously crafted sculptures aim to seduce viewers with aesthetic indulgence yet reveal disturbing visions of entities that fuse elements of the human, the robot and the animal kingdom. These hybrids owe as much to our animal ancestors as to cutting edge medical technology. As the Rotterdam based artist says: “I work on the borders of beauty. Fusing conflicting elements, the sculptures question our current concept of aesthetics”.
La vie est si gênante, Part II (1998) is an installation project of an ever-growing collection of animal curiosities. Animal parts transformed for mass consumption into knickknacks, fashion accessories and all manner of paraphernalia intended to prettify our bodies and our homes are combined without any hierarchy with her sculptures of innocent baby-faces. These are hard to distinguish from all the wonderful little trinkets that delight and shame us, querying our bloody relationship with our fellow creatures.
Almost Perfect (2004) presents a skinny teenager, nude, in high-heeled black Japanese sandals. Her skin is sutured together, like some sleek designer cat suit, the stitching more emphatic on her face with its fashionably oversized lips. Her pose is stilted, self-conscious of her budding breasts and tiny penis.
Two tiny tots, little sisters holding hands, are very, very black: long black hair, long black eye-lashes and soft curly black lamb skin. Turned towards each other with their eyes closed, they isolate themselves from the rest of the world. They are called Les bêtes noires (2000).
Les bêtes noires will be shown in the kloone4000 exhibition.
"I know there is a family in South America that has a furry skin
like theirs. I think they are in a research-program to find the genetic
abnormality. The information could be useful to combat boldness and could
tell us about our ancestors?
The little girls are also a unity, they seem to share things not only
on a physical level, but also psychologically and we are shut out by them.
This is believed to be true for twins. How would that be for clones?"
(Silvia B.)
Silvia B. makes livesize children with leather skin and other hairy materials.
In an installation at the CBK Groningen she combined all kinds of strange
stuffed animals from fleemarkets with sculptures of innocent children's
faces. She connects the situation of children and animals by showing their
muteness and vulnerability. A feeling of unease and great attraction.
Her freakish images of women question beauty standards.
Silvia B. lives and works in Rotterdam. She studies sculpture and fashion at the Rotterdam art academy. Besides exhibiting her works she also does commisioned works in public spaces, like the Ultra statue in Groningen.
website: www.silvia-b.com
Loréne Bourguignon
Silvia B
Lisa Holden
Wim Hardeman
Anje Roosjen
Joanneke Meester
Shunji Hori
Netty van Osch