Label Text
Petah Coyne’s work explores the various symbolic implications of hair. In literature, mythology, and religious texts from around the world, hair represents everything from strength and sexuality to life and death. The hair in Ariyoshi is a dramatic force, springing from a small standing figure that it almost completely engulfs. Ariyoshi is made of horse hair that has been treated and dyed, and a damaged Madonna obtained from a retailer of religious goods. The presence of the Madonna lends a strong sense of Catholic iconography to the work. Coyne has suggested that the gray tones in the hair and the figure’s modest pose refers to vows made by nuns as brides of Christ. The title stems from Coyne’s interest in Japanese literature and culture. One specific influence is Higashi Hongangi temple in Kyoto. Constructed in 1895, the timbers used to build the temple’s main hall were too massive to be moved with conventional rope. To solve this problem, local women donated their hair to construct fifty-three ropes strong enough to transport the beams.
Dimensionsdimensions variable
Accession Number 2002.6
Classificationssculpture
ProvenanceArtist. (Gallery Lelong, New York); Des Moines Art Center [purchased from the previous, 2002]
Images (2)
