Patricia Waller


Buffet, 2000, (wool)

Thread in the work of Patricia Waller is used as a basic artistic material, and the artist employs the traditional technique of crocheting. A steak and different snacks crocheted from a woollen thread; a lobster embellished with leaves of lettuce; a plate of different kinds of cheese decorated with grapes; a plate of eggs; and, of course, a bread basket – all these stimulate the viewer's appetite. The inventively crocheted buffet is an aesthetic sublimation of banquets, which also accompany the bulk of cultural events. As a Trojan horse, this work points to philistinism and taboos of different configurations of contemporary society. By placing a delicious buffet in the gallery space, this work openly comments on the ambience at openings of exhibitions and other cultural events. The theme is as old as humanity itself. People who strike it rich are always there; they make contacts, speak highly diplomatically, and behave approvingly. The mimetic depiction of food is a metaphor for self-interest; it is a humorous, even ironic statement about the fact that the opening event often pushes aside the substance of the exhibited works and positions, and it much too often and excessively emphasises the socialising and career components. Patricia Waller has used crocheted thread in her creations since the beginning of
the 1990s, and has actually been one of the main figures in the branch of so-called textile art. The ingenuity of her work, in comparison with other similar statements and comments on philistinism in the art system, which have been quite frequent in recent years, lies precisely in her use of material.

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Born in 1962 in Santiago (Chile). In 1968 she moved to Germany. Between 1985 in 1990 she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe under Professors O. H. Hajek, K. Fritsch, W. Pokorny, E. Wagner, and H. Klingelhöller. In 1993 she held a DAAD scholarship in Ghent (Belgium). In 1995 she won a scholarship and studied at the Columbia College in Chicago (USA). In 1999 she studied at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.

Solo exhibitions (selection):

2007 Crossing Wonderland, Galerie Deschler, Berlin
2005 Art Delights, Ego Gallery, Barcelona
2004 Atelier 340 / Muzeum, Brussels
2003 Skin, Kabinett im Stadtmuseum, Jena
2001 Wolllust, Kunsthalle Dominikanerkirche, Osnabrück

Group exhibitions (selection):

2006 Skulpture in Dialogue, Städtische Museen, Heilbronn
2005 D-Haus, German Year 2005/6 in Japan, Tokyo
2004 Natur in Art, Museum for Arts and Crafts, Hamburg
2003 Left Hand, Right Hand, 798 Space, Beijing
2001 Housework – Everyday Life, Municipal Gallery, Nordhorn

www.patriciawaller.com
www.deschler-berlin.de