(G)Loveless
By Susan Caspi
Alameda, California: Susan Caspi, 2014. Edition of 24.
4.5 x 10.375" simulated purse containing simulated compact, lipstick, and gloves. Purse: antique obi material, lined, magnetic closure. Gloves: letterpress printed with a Vandercook press on 280 BFK Rives using type and a polymer plate; 2 glove pages trimmed and hinged to make one. Compact: constructed of paper, fabric, lace and rhinestone; image in place of mirror. Lipstick: paper construction with a sliding element. Signed and numbered by the artist.
Susan Caspi: "My mother had a rather difficult childhood, with a mentally unstable and occasionally violent father and a mother who had cancer from the time she was 9 and died when she was 17. So she was thrust into the role of family caretaker at 9. Due to all of these circumstances she withdrew inside herself and with her extreme theatrical bent paid close attention to creating an air of stability and normality using fashion and theater as her guides. She was always properly turned out and the stage she set was a very lovely one. Unfortunately inside her there was an entirely different story being told."
G(loveless) is an assemblage that represents the artist's strained relationship with her mother: "The gloves representing propriety and the lady-like attire that was my mother. An evening bag to contain them but made with Japanese fabrics to represent something more substantial emotionally [the artists' beloved Japanese nanny], a lipstick because you should always show your prettiest face, and a powder compact for the same reason with my mother's lovely face and sweet smile looking back out."
$250 |
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