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stoneware bone
Currently on view at Mint Museum--RANDOLPH
Museum purchase: Funds provided by Charles W. Beam Accessions Endowment, Judy and John Alexander, Bill Gorelick, Mint Museum Auxiliary, Laura and Mike Grace, Lorne Lassiter and Gary Ferraro, Jacqueline and Sean Jones, Betsy and Dr. Brian Wilder, and Hillary and Fairfax Cooper
Beth Cavener’s sophisticated, compelling animal sculptures appear realistic at first glance, but subtle details reveal that they are metaphors for human psychological states. Beloved (Rearing Deer) portrays an animal struggling as its antlers are entangled in rope, its expression oddly stoic. The deer’s identity is ambiguous, since it possesses both antlers and female genitalia (the only female deer with antlers are reindeer). “There is so much more complexity and depth to people than what we see embodied in their exterior shell,” she states. “To this end, the portraits I create of people are disguised in neutral animal skins, and layered with conflicting roles of victim/aggressor, self-doubt/empowerment, or male/feminine. With my work I am striving to interrupt assumptions and fear-based thought patterns to reveal a more open humanity and inspire greater empathy towards one another.” Cavener’s demanding working process consists of first building solid sculptures on metal armatures, often with 2,000 or more pounds of clay at a time, cutting the piece into sections, hollowing out each part, and reassembling the pieces before firing. By working in sections, she can adjust the positioning of heads and limbs to achieve the depth of emotional expression seen in works like Beloved.
Accession Number: 2019.97a-c
Measurements:
Copyright Information:
NEPL signed by artist representative 2020
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