Every woman is Wonder Woman. Having just seen the blockbuster movie Wonder Woman I was compelled to make this work. The movie got me thinking about how pleased I am that a movie like this has been made in my lifetime. And having discussed it with feminist friends, we came to the conclusion that it was the collective effort on all our parts that has made a movie like Wonder Woman possible.
I've always been interested in popular culture and the way it represents shifts and ideas in society. The Wonder Woman movie, directed by a woman, starring a woman, depicting the Amazons in such a positive and powerful way, represents an aspiration for how women should be respected and treated in society. While we still have a long way to go in regards to society's treatment of women, this movie forms part of a cultural shift that is gaining momentum. How affirming and empowering it is, that a legion of young girls and women have a movie like this in their lives. Go Wonder Woman!
Australian artist Penny Byrne's sculptural works are politically charged, highly engaging and often disarmingly humorous. Using materials such as bronze, glass, vintage porcelain figurines and found objects, Byrne's work presents an ongoing inquiry into popular culture and international politics.
Her background in ceramics conservation and the law informs her practice. Byrne's ability to work across varying mediums and scales exemplifies how she challenges the boundaries and assumptions around her art. Her works appear in many collections, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Henning Claassen Collection (Germany), Powerhouse Museum (Sydney), Melbourne’s RMIT University Art Collection and private collections in Australia, UK, Turkey, USA, NZ, Hong Kong, Singapore and Germany.
vintage porcelain figurine and porcelain shield, metal sword, Swarovski crystal, epoxy putty, epoxy resin, enamel paints
23 x 14 x 14 cm
Finalist
Judges of the 2017 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize: Djon Mundine OAM (Curator, Writer, Artist and Activist), Roslyn Oxley OAM (Gallerist and arts benefactor) and Alexie Glass-Kantor (Executive Director, Artspace, Sydney and Curator, Encounters, Art Basel | Hong Kong)
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