An occasional dose of culture. The soft sculptures of Stephanie Metz.

Today I'd like to introduce a fabric artist whose work I admire and deserves a wider audience. The artist is Stephanie Metz. Stephanie uses the technique of needle felting to sculpt small but beautifully formed organisms that blur the lines between whimsy and science, reality and fantasy. Stephanie's meticulously needle sculpted hold up a mirror to human arrogance, and the human need to tame nature. A cute teddy bear is given a darker side with sharp toothed skull. A plucked, headless chicken walks on slender sexy legs. Look at the images and decide for yourself. Any thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

Atavist

Felted wool

5" H x 7" W x 3" D (framed)

2007

Amorphozoa #7

Felted wool, Porcupine Quills

10.25" x 7.25" x 4.5"

2009

Chicken Legs

Felted wool, wood

17"H x 12"W x 15"D

2004

Amorphozoa #8

Felted wool, hair

6.25" x 6.25" x 7.75"

2009

Lapdog

Felted wool, taxidermy plastic eyes

5.5 "H x 4"W x 9.5"D

2005

Training Bra

Hair, found clothing,

18" x 15" x 2"

2009

More Moleskine pages (older ones)

I have a backlog of over 36 completed Moleskine sketchbooks thus far, and they are the only part of my work that is not for sale. Too much time , blood, sweat..blah blah goes into them and it makes it impossible to put a price on them. I do enjoy looking through them now and again, and I am always surprised by how completely I forget what I've done. It's as if they were someone Else's work and words. I did say I'd post some older pages and this is what this  is about.

Certain events in my life messed with my head and forced me to question the fundamentals of good and evil, right and wrong. It also turned me away from rigid inflexible dogma that allows people to set themselves up as judge and jury. To decide who lives and who dies and why.

This depicts some complex feelings about being a girl child in a place that favoured little princes. Of having to steal enough of the spotlight to see me through. Apparently the lack of a penis rendered me unworthy. Funny that!

These images touch on some very deep emotional subjects about my life. There are complex back-stories to each of them. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

The Saatchi Online Showdown

http://www.saatchionline.com/showdown/match/showdown/4/artist/49552/art/1021972
 Please vote for my entry entitled 'entropy'. The voting closes on February 23rd 2011 so there is still time.

Thank you in advance, if you don't vote I promise not to hold it against you but what have you got to lose?

Moleskine drawing for planned doll.

This is my drawing for my current work in progress. I bought a pattern from Ebay for premature babies staring from 12 weeks gestation right up to 28 weeks. i am making an old fashioned hand made sanitary towel complete with pins as a bed for the tiny little 'would have been' life. It is intended as a loving commemoration of every baby that couldn't fulfill his or her potential for whatever reason.

Moleskine Pages.

A couple more pages bringing me almost up to date. I intend to start a new doll project next so the Moleskines may slow down a bit. I could be writing this in ancient Sanskrit to see if anyone is reading these posts, haha!