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susan jennings
art
My work is fairly regular materials doing abnormal things. In many of these objects, household items show up uninvited to make an out-of-place debut as a body part or sexual apparatus. Wax, leather, gauze, metal become flesh; or wrench it, puncture it.
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I enjoy allowing a banal object to become some other signifier, reminiscent of something strange. In creating these, I wanted to make the viewer aware of their physical self, the endless possibilities to receive information through the most rational of senses, and feel it fall heavy into the sinewy body of the mind.
 Not What I IntendedResin casts with steel nails and thread Figures abstracted from Greek tragedy are drilled and punctured, blood seemingly spilling from their wounds, every experience documented. |  Not What I Intended - detailResin casts with steel nails and thread Figures abstracted from Greek tragedy are drilled and punctured, blood seemingly spilling from their wounds, every experience documented. |  Not What I Intended - detailResin casts with steel nails and thread Figures abstracted from Greek tragedy are drilled and punctured, blood seemingly spilling from their wounds, every experience documented. |
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 CordBronze cast A surreal connection links the organic and the electronic. |  Cord - detailBronze cast A surreal connection links the organic and the electronic. |  Cord - detailBronze cast A surreal connection links the organic and the electronic. |
 Welcome InWire coat hanger, gauze, plasticine clay, brass tacks, thread. A wreath made of objects resembling eyeballs, bullets and spermatozoa encircles a wire coat hanger topped with a gauze ribbon. These objects reference both sex and the oversight of sexuality and its consequences. |  Welcome In - detailWire coat hanger, gauze, plasticine clay, brass tacks, thread. A wreath made of objects resembling eyeballs, bullets and spermatozoa encircles a wire coat hanger topped with a gauze ribbon. These objects reference both sex and the oversight of sexuality and its consequences. |  Neck LumpPlastic tubing, plasticine clay, oatmeal, food coloring, wax, fishing line. The plastic tubing becomes a sort of spine, at the top of which are nestled several sets of angry-looking glands, suggesting ideas of illness, death, and the lack of control of one's own body. |
 Neck Lump - detailPlastic tubing, plasticine clay, oatmeal, food coloring, wax, fishing line. The plastic tubing becomes a sort of spine, at the top of which are nestled several sets of angry-looking glands, suggesting ideas of illness, death, and the lack of control of one's own body. |  Neck Lump - detailPlastic tubing, plasticine clay, oatmeal, food coloring, wax, fishing line. The plastic tubing becomes a sort of spine, at the top of which are nestled several sets of angry-looking glands, suggesting ideas of illness, death, and the lack of control of one's own body. |  Garlic BraidCherry Chapstick, gauze, cotton string. Cherry Chapsticks screwed out of their plastic sleeves take the place of traditional garlic in this braid, where materials begin to suggest feminine hygiene products or even firecrackers. The literary reference of garlic keeping away vampires takes on a new meaning, where the fragrant red wax could be blood, or an innocent kiss. |
 Garlic Braid - detailCherry Chapstick, gauze, cotton string. Cherry Chapsticks screwed out of their plastic sleeves take the place of traditional garlic in this braid, where materials begin to suggest feminine hygiene products or even firecrackers. The literary reference of garlic keeping away vampires takes on a new meaning, where the fragrant red wax could be blood, or an innocent kiss. |  Garlic Braid - detailCherry Chapstick, gauze, cotton string. Cherry Chapsticks screwed out of their plastic sleeves take the place of traditional garlic in this braid, where materials begin to suggest feminine hygiene products or even firecrackers. The literary reference of garlic keeping away vampires takes on a new meaning, where the fragrant red wax could be blood, or an innocent kiss. |  Shower CurtainCopper pipe, plastic tubing, steel wire, plasticine clay, clear caulking, doll hair. The shower is a place of cleanliness, yet is often dirty... a place of privacy, yet also of intimacy. This "shower curtain" contains much of what you'd find in a shower, adding in materials that pierce the rubber "flesh" to create a new textile, which would actually make a lousy shower curtain. |
 Shower Curtain - detailCopper pipe, plastic tubing, steel wire, plasticine clay, clear caulking, doll hair. The shower is a place of cleanliness, yet is often dirty... a place of privacy, yet also of intimacy. This "shower curtain" contains much of what you'd find in a shower, adding in materials that pierce the rubber "flesh" to create a new textile, which would actually make a lousy shower curtain. |  Shower Curtain - detailCopper pipe, plastic tubing, steel wire, plasticine clay, clear caulking, doll hair. The shower is a place of cleanliness, yet is often dirty... a place of privacy, yet also of intimacy. This "shower curtain" contains much of what you'd find in a shower, adding in materials that pierce the rubber "flesh" to create a new textile, which would actually make a lousy shower curtain. |  Pig SnoutLoofah, natural excelsior, wax, rubber bands. A found object takes on various appearances verging from gross to comical with the addition of other materials. |
 HathorRubber bands, steel chain, steel spikes, rubber drain stoppers, copper wire, latex, steel ring & bolt Found objects are united to take on a human form, at once comical, mechanical, medical, and sexual. |  Hathor - detailRubber bands, steel chain, steel spikes, rubber drain stoppers, copper wire, latex, steel ring & bolt Found objects are united to take on a human form, at once comical, mechanical, medical, and sexual. |  Hathor - detailRubber bands, steel chain, steel spikes, rubber drain stoppers, copper wire, latex, steel ring & bolt Found objects are united to take on a human form, at once comical, mechanical, medical, and sexual. |
 Untitled - detailRubber bands, steel chain, steel spikes, rubber drain stoppers, copper wire, latex, steel ring & bolt Found objects are united to take on a human form, at once comical, mechanical, medical, and sexual. |  ToolsMolded plastic keychain gift box + five wax casts. A found object, in this case a key chain in a molded plastic gift box, evokes the image of a melted microphone or a flaccid penis. Explorations into what types of objects might have occupied this form result in various "tools" ranging from electronics to devices for use in the body. |  ToolsMolded plastic keychain gift box. A found object, in this case a key chain in a molded plastic gift box, evokes the image of a melted microphone or a flaccid penis. Explorations into what types of objects might have occupied this form result in various "tools" ranging from electronics to devices for use in the body. |
 ToolsMolded plastic keychain gift box (with keychain in place). A found object, in this case a key chain in a molded plastic gift box, evokes the image of a melted microphone or a flaccid penis. Explorations into what types of objects might have occupied this form result in various "tools" ranging from electronics to devices for use in the body. |  ToolsBlack wax cast with speaker and volume knob. A found object, in this case a key chain in a molded plastic gift box, evokes the image of a melted microphone or a flaccid penis. Explorations into what types of objects might have occupied this form result in various "tools" ranging from electronics to devices for use in the body. |  ToolsWhite wax cast with cotton string and cotton ball. A found object, in this case a key chain in a molded plastic gift box, evokes the image of a melted microphone or a flaccid penis. Explorations into what types of objects might have occupied this form result in various "tools" ranging from electronics to devices for use in the body. |
 ToolsRed wax cast with rubber bands. A found object, in this case a key chain in a molded plastic gift box, evokes the image of a melted microphone or a flaccid penis. Explorations into what types of objects might have occupied this form result in various "tools" ranging from electronics to devices for use in the body. |  ToolsPink wax cast with plastic tubing and telephone cord. A found object, in this case a key chain in a molded plastic gift box, evokes the image of a melted microphone or a flaccid penis. Explorations into what types of objects might have occupied this form result in various "tools" ranging from electronics to devices for use in the body. |  Toolssilver wax cast with drill bit. A found object, in this case a key chain in a molded plastic gift box, evokes the image of a melted microphone or a flaccid penis. Explorations into what types of objects might have occupied this form result in various "tools" ranging from electronics to devices for use in the body. |
 ScarCircular saw cut in wall with thread stitching. The wall of the gallery is cut open and stitched back up, as many of us have at one time or another. |  Scar - detailCircular saw cut in wall with thread stitching. The wall of the gallery is cut open and stitched back up, as many of us have at one time or another. |  ThreatCopper, plasticine clay, gauze, acrylic paint. Objects are designed to evoke the threat of physical harm. |
 Threat - detailCopper, plasticine clay, gauze, acrylic paint. Objects are designed to evoke the threat of physical harm. |  The TightropeRope, mirror, steel bucket, water. Based on a song lyric, this piece talks about the possibility of loss and despair with emotional risk. |  The Tightrope - detailRope, mirror, steel bucket, water. Based on a song lyric, this piece talks about the possibility of loss and despair with emotional risk. |
 The Tightrope - detailRope, mirror, steel bucket, water. Based on a song lyric, this piece talks about the possibility of loss and despair with emotional risk. |
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