Meet Patricia Piccinini

May 21, 2024 4:39 AM

Meet Patricia Piccinini. She's the mother of Skywhale and a much-loved artist. The artist shares why her work is driven by a fascination for the frontiers of science and its potential — and her fears of what we're doing to the world.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (6 comments total)

know it's supposed to be nonthreatening, but when i saw Skywhale i just thought NOPE
posted by HearHere at 4:46 AM on May 21

She’s a favourite, glad to see her on Metafilter! I’ve known her creepy, cute, photorealistic sculptures for a long time; they are like an alternative biology.
posted by Termite at 4:56 AM on May 21 [1 favorite]

Skywhale is beautiful; a wondrous, joyous, hopeful creature. She and Skywhalepapa flew in Melbourne in 2022, one of the first big public gatherings I went to after lockdown. It was cold and clear, and they rose over the trees by the Yarra with their children, with song and dance below like a magical ceremony of hope and love and family - strange and queer that it might be. Art can be huge and weird and ugly but still be filled with our wishes and dreams.
posted by prismatic7 at 6:46 AM on May 21 [2 favorites]

The artist's own website is full of wondrous things.
posted by flabdablet at 7:34 AM on May 21 [2 favorites]

I like them. Maybe edging towards twee a little bit IMHO. But they sure are different.
posted by Czjewel at 9:42 AM on May 21

I have been going to her exhibitions for more than 20 years - and some of her works are very unsettling.

Her use of different materials is amazing.
posted by Barbara Spitzer at 7:32 PM on May 21 [1 favorite]