Strung out

November 19, 2007 12:05 PM

Sandrine Pelletier. Coming from a background in illustrative line art, Pelletier also works extensively with thread. Many of her pieces explore a tension between traditionally feminine materials and aggressive, masculine subjects.
posted by klangklangston (8 comments total)

What a diverse palette she has. I like some of it: Renault, Black and White, quite a lot, but I found the imore physical pieces and their use of textiles vapid. This is crap. The difference in magnitude of effect is striking. This is charming, but I wouldn't write a grant check for it.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:15 PM on November 19, 2007

Wrestlers seem to be a particular favorite. I have to admit I didn't perceive this as a wrestling mask till I read the title -- more like a bridal veil. I'm sure that's no accident.
posted by GrammarMoses at 12:18 PM on November 19, 2007

"I like some of it: Renault, Black and White, quite a lot, but I found the imore physical pieces and their use of textiles vapid."

I agree that there's a tremendous diversity in her portfolio, but I thought that the Renault pieces were some of the weakest. And with installations, it's hard to say what the actual effect is without being there.

Though I do agree that the misanthropic alphabet one was pretty crappy.
posted by klangklangston at 12:46 PM on November 19, 2007

Some of the work is quite interesting (i liked the children do it better t-shirt), but can we please move beyond fabric->women->freudian-lack-of-a-penis/fighting->punching->men dichotmies in art nowadays? I mean, it's not 1975 anymore.
posted by DenOfSizer at 1:13 PM on November 19, 2007

*checking again* The Renault pieces appeal to me on a pretty aesthetic level. I probably like poppy portraiture more than average. Anyway, thanks for another interesting art post!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:27 PM on November 19, 2007

The backyard wrestling pieces were interesting, although the one titled "Powerbomb Finisher" is actually a guy doing an elbow drop off of a ladder.
posted by papakwanz at 1:38 PM on November 19, 2007

"Some of the work is quite interesting (i liked the children do it better t-shirt), but can we please move beyond fabric->women->freudian-lack-of-a-penis/fighting->punching->men dichotmies in art nowadays? I mean, it's not 1975 anymore."

Well, but let's look at the wrestling mask/wedding veil piece, which has the women=fabric/men=fighting thing (though I think you're being wildly over-reductive). It also should make a viewer think about the similarities in how masking the face allows a person to construct a new identity, especially with the public implications of both masked wrestling and weddings. I also see a wink at Barthes' mythological view of the wrestler, one of the first attempts to apply a semiotic language to pop culture, and an opportunity to imagine what wrestler would wear such a mask.
posted by klangklangston at 2:18 PM on November 19, 2007

"Anyway, thanks for another interesting art post!"

It's my penance for thinking "There hasn't been enough interesting art on the front page lately."
posted by klangklangston at 2:21 PM on November 19, 2007