My sculpture deals with my lifelong fascination with fashion, women,
and beauty. I view my work as three-dimensional caricature through
which I channel the spirits of southern belles, divas, vixens, and ingenues. To me, style is about so much more than fabric or fashion.
It's about how something is worn, and more importantly, why. With each
wire dress I explore the presence of the female form and gesture
without sculpting representations of actual body parts. Instead I added
to physical bearing, spirit, and impulse through sculpted clothing.
I
use jagged industrial fencing and rebar tie-wire to
construct the sculpture. I am intrigued by the contrast that the
materials create with the subject matter. The connotations of
entrapment and bondage are juxtaposed with that of iconic feminine
beauty. Ultimately, the sharp linear quality of the wire is perfect for
an expression which is both elegant and raw, whimsical yet edgy.
Leigh Pennebaker |
