South African artist Frances Goodman takes over the gallery Filles du Calvaire for the first time with her solo show “Red Runs Through“. Until April 20, 2024, the exhibition space is decked out in a reddish hue in perfect harmony with the works on show. This vibrant color eloquently reflects the themes underlying Frances Goodman’s artistic practice, such as power, vitality and femininity.
Born in 1975 and living in Johannesburg, Frances Goodman graduated in Fine Art from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in 1998, and from Goldsmiths College in London in 2000. Her strikingly relevant art and ability to express vivid, powerful emotions have made her a major figure on her country’s art scene.
Her exhibition “Red Runs Through” presents a collection of works from different series, ranging from portraits embroidered in sequins to a monumental crochet installation, from sculptures made from fake nails snaking across walls to totems of ceramic pills and tablets.
At the heart of this exhibition, the monumental work entitled “Comforter” offers a unique visual and tactile experience to the public, where red and materials collaborate and cover the artistic space, creating an atmosphere imbued with compassion and empathy. This piece embodies a powerful and captivating visual discourse within the exhibition, capturing the vibrant essence of the dominant red.
In her creations, Frances Goodman readily assimilates sequin into her artistic repertoire, diverting it from its original use, that affiliated with the fashion industry. The contemporary artist attributes a new utility to this creative material, using it to design dazzling portraits that lend an enchanting grandeur to her works.
“Red Runs Through” also features sculptures made from colorful, braided false nails. While some are reminiscent of sinuous snakes, others merge with the shapes of ribbons and flags. Variable, repetitive messages such as “GIVE AND TAKE“, “BE BETTER” and “NO REGRET” are inscribed on these creations, reminiscent of digital displays.
Always striving to offer a striking visual experience, the artist presents ceramic sculptures called “pillars“, all constructed from brightly-colored pills and tablets. They are carefully matched to resemble towers or totem poles. His “pharmaceutical” sculptures appear as sarcastic takes on the overabundance of health products touted as cures for a “better life”.
Through a splendid aesthetic, Frances Goodman hijacks the use of materials associated with fashion and make-up to offer an innovative and unconventional interpretation. By exploring traditional representations of femininity and drawing inspiration from contemporary standards of beauty, she offers a bold, uncompromising critique.
An emerging contemporary artist, her work can be found in numerous collections, including the Chase Manhattan Collection (New York); the Johannesburg Art Gallery and UNISA (Johannesburg); and the Fondation Sindika Dokolo (Luanda). His work has recently been exhibited at the Palace of Tokyo in Paris and will soon be shown at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam in Schiedam, Netherlands.
