Hannah Wilke Single Gum Sculpture, 1979
Working in sculpture, photography, performance, and video, Hannah Wilke (1940-1993) is critical to the trajectory of feminist art history in the 20th Century. Her political works addressed sex, language, desire, and gender in form and material. Her gestural folded vaginal works employed unusual single materials such kneeded eraser or chewing gum (including the Juicy Fruit and Big Red brands). In 1974, Wilke began the S.O.S Starification Object Series – a photographic series in which she adorned her unclothed body with the vaginal gum forms. Punning words including star, scar, and the star of David - Wilke accesses histories and the intersectional concerns of celebrity, beauty, feminism, the male gaze, and the holocaust. This intimately scaled gum sculpture continues the trajectory of the S.O.S. series and is one of many gum vaginas Wilke made during her lifetime. Wilke explicitly discussed saliva as a performative remnant of the body held within the sculptural object of the gum works.
Mounted by the artist on matboard and signed and dated in pencil in the lower right. Usually these works were presented in a small, clear acrylic box, which is not present. Professionally framed in a hand-milled box frame with UV plexi. The work unframed is .75" x .75". With a statement of provenance. Additional shipping and insurance rates apply (must be shipped by an approved crater and freighter), please inquire. Not available for shipping to locations outside the US, unless buyer provides the shipper, insurance and waiver. Item #976.
Condition: Very Good, tiny corner bumps and light edgewear to original mat board.
Price: $9,500.00