Goldfinch's studio at Louisiana ArtWorks.
There are two childhood memories that Jessica Goldfinch conjures in her exhibition "Holy Cards and Other Versions of Mortality", currently on view at CoLAB Projects.
The first being nostalgic for people of my generation. If you had a collection of Garbage Pail Kids or watched Alf when you were a kid, you know what I'm talking about. The mere mention of Shrinky Dinks will spark memories in the collective consciousness of my peers.
The second memory is more personal and specific to my upbringing. At just about every funeral I've ever attended there were cards of saints that had little prayers for the deceased on the back. I happily took these cards so I can have something to stare at during sermons. There was something about these images of saints that I admired and the aesthetic of the designs were particularly fascinating to me.
Similar experiences inspired Goldfinch who has, over time, created her own set of iconography that playfully appropriates the visuals of saints that . Manipulating Shrinky Dinks into a set of "holy cards", Goldfinch applies an immaculate detail akin to that of a renaissance master. Whether or not you appreciate her underlying, twisted sense of humor, the artist's precise craftsmanship is undeniably impressive.
Images of show can be seen online here. Watch Shrinky Dink studio action here.
Jessica also has work in a group show at the CAC.
Comments
I didn't know piers had a collective consciousness. Maybe I'll give a shout out to them the next time I need a good fishing spot.
Jessica Goldfinch also has Shrinky Dink pieces up at the Contemporary Art Center until January 2010 in the "Hot Up Here" show.
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