Cornelia Parker

(Born 1956 in Cheshire, England)

These works are not currently on view.



 

Hanging Fire (Suspected Arson), 1999
Wire mesh, charcoal, wire, pins, nails
144 x 60 x 72 in. (365.8 x 152.4 x 182.9 cm)
Gift of Barbara Lee

An impressive example of Cornelia Parker's signature suspended sculptures, Hanging Fire (Suspected Arson) is a major installation piece constructed from found materials-the charred remains of an alleged arson incident. Hung by wires to create a forest of charcoal fragments, the work features a spectacular explosion of form in space and captures Parker's forensic fascination. Parker's 2000 show at the ICA, her first solo museum exhibition in the United States, was a turning point in her career.


 

Wedding Ring Drawing (circumference of a living room), 1996
Two 22 carat gold wedding rings drawn into wire
24 x 24 in. (61 x 61 cm), framed
Gift of Barbara Lee

Cornelia Parker's Wedding Ring Drawing is made from two wedding rings that have been literally drawn into newly metaphorical forms. The gold rings were melted and stretched into a single 40-foot-long circular thread, a length that suggests the circumference of a living room and adds a note of domesticity to the unfolding metaphor. The thread was then trapped between two sheets of glass, creating a "drawing" that winds around in delicate loops and turns. The work simultaneously evokes the fragile and beautiful history of these two abandoned rings and the possibility of renewed connection.

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