2012
The characters I depict in my Noble Savage sculptures derive from Francesco Goya’s series of 80 etchings and aquatint prints entitled Los Caprichos, published in 1799. In this critique of Spanish society, Goya portrays complex characters who often deceive themselves while “pantomiming” for others. In my sculptures, I use his series as an encyclopedia of universal personalities and give each sculpture a code name that refers to as specific Goya etching. My decision to use hemp textiles for the portraits came from a desire to combine the warmth and intimacy of such “earthy” fabrics with Goya’s monstrous or exaggeratedly self-important characters, which continue to be relevant today. The result is a collection of hand-sewn heroic busts, which are distinctly expressive.
Marguerite Kahrl