A. Laura Brody
The Fairy Melusine
2023
Aluminum walker and reused textiles and notions over plastics, cartons, wood, and wire.
98” x 70” x 60”
$35000
Website: https://www.dreamsbymachine.com
California, USA
2023
Aluminum walker and reused textiles and notions over plastics, cartons, wood, and wire.
98” x 70” x 60”
$35000
Website: https://www.dreamsbymachine.com
California, USA
ABOUT THE ART:
“Melusine is a legendary figure from European folklore depicted as a mermaid, sometimes with two tails, as a serpent from the waist down, or as a dragon. She has many stories associated with her, and may have originally been the Syrian fertility goddess Atargatis. My version of Melusine is about auto-immune disease, female autonomy, and emotional labor.
In one version of her tale, Melusine is a fairy in human form that saved a man after he had accidentally killed a king. She promised him a great kingdom and many fine children if he would only leave her alone on Saturdays. She lived up to her promise and he did not, spying on her in her bath to see her lower body turned to fish or serpent tails. When he finally confronted her, she grew wings and flew away, leaving him to die in obscurity.”
In one version of her tale, Melusine is a fairy in human form that saved a man after he had accidentally killed a king. She promised him a great kingdom and many fine children if he would only leave her alone on Saturdays. She lived up to her promise and he did not, spying on her in her bath to see her lower body turned to fish or serpent tails. When he finally confronted her, she grew wings and flew away, leaving him to die in obscurity.”
BIO:
Laura Brody sculpts for the human body and its vehicles. She founded and curates Opulent Mobility, a series of exhibits that re-imagine disability as opulent and powerful. Her art has been shown at ACE/121 Gallery, Art Share LA, Brea Gallery, California State University Northridge, the Charles River Museum of Industry, the Dora Stern Gallery at Arts Unbound, Gallery Expo, Ikouii Creative, Westbeth Center For the Arts, and The World of Wearable Art.
Ms. Brody lives in Los Angeles County and works as a professional costume maker and designer, artist, curator, and educator. She is passionate about reuse, sustainability, and re-imagining disability.
Ms. Brody lives in Los Angeles County and works as a professional costume maker and designer, artist, curator, and educator. She is passionate about reuse, sustainability, and re-imagining disability.
DESCRIPTION:
The Fairy Melusine
A fabric sculpture of a female is supported by a matte silver walker. Curved silver handles poke out from the front of the figure’s right hip while the other handle is hidden. The sculpture has two tentacle-like legs ending in fish tails that flop to the rear. The figure is covered in undulating stripes of shiny fabrics: magenta, purple, and turquoise, lime green, gray, gold, dark green and royal blue. Columns of small semi-circles in contrasting colors with the straight side up run along the body and limbs. The curved edges of the semi-circles are trimmed with zipper teeth. The figure has a full bust and hips. Her face is green, purple, gold, and blue with embroidered red lips and purple eyes. Her hair is braided in multicolored strands. Delicate wings spread behind her and a spiked crown with dark jewel sits on her head.
-description by Teri Grossman
A fabric sculpture of a female is supported by a matte silver walker. Curved silver handles poke out from the front of the figure’s right hip while the other handle is hidden. The sculpture has two tentacle-like legs ending in fish tails that flop to the rear. The figure is covered in undulating stripes of shiny fabrics: magenta, purple, and turquoise, lime green, gray, gold, dark green and royal blue. Columns of small semi-circles in contrasting colors with the straight side up run along the body and limbs. The curved edges of the semi-circles are trimmed with zipper teeth. The figure has a full bust and hips. Her face is green, purple, gold, and blue with embroidered red lips and purple eyes. Her hair is braided in multicolored strands. Delicate wings spread behind her and a spiked crown with dark jewel sits on her head.
-description by Teri Grossman
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Opulent Mobility by A. Laura Brody is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
The Opulent Mobility license refers to the exhibit and its audio descriptions. Individual artworks are the property of the individual artists.