Kitty Wales
born 1957, Boston, MA
works in Wrentham, MA
Pine Sharks, 1997, steel, appliance parts, each shark 50" x 11" x 80", Lent by the Artist, Site-specific installation, Installation courtesy of Hartney Greymont Tree and Lawn Specialists
Kitty Wales travels the world to observe wild animals in their natural habitats, and then returns to her studio to sculpturally interpret her visual and emotional memories of the animals in a variety of materials. Her previous bodies of work have been inspired by wild dogs, feral goats, swine, and birds of prey. Her fascination with the sinewy fluid forms and clean beautiful gestures of sharks led her to participate in shark dives in the Bahamas. Using a plastic drawing slate, she was able to sketch the predators as they swam above her.
Pine Sharks, an installation created specifically for this location in the Sculpture Park, includes three sharks which closely approximate their natural models in size, anatomy, and posture as they "swim" above the visitor. These sculptures of deadly eating machines are not, however, without humor. The Pine Sharks are fabricated from debris and discarded appliances—an oil burner, a refrigerator, and an avocado green stove—which inspired their individual names: American Standard, Maytag, and Hotpoint. The Pine Sharks are thus not only studies of magnificent fish, but also a wry commentary on the state of the environment, recycling, and American consumer culture.
Kitty Wales
born 1957, Boston, MA
works in Wrentham, MA
Feral Goose, 2005, bronze, ed. 2/5, 23" x 42" x 21", Gift of Stephen and Betty Jane Andrus 2005.99
Sculptor Kitty Wales examines the structure, anatomy, and movement of the animals she observes, and creates installation pieces that embody her visual and emotional memories of these living subjects. Wales is particularly interested in feral animals, and her previous projects have included feral dogs, feral pigs, and sharks such as those in Pine Sharks, another work by the artist in DeCordova’s Sculpture Park. Although Wales does not like to label herself an environmental artist, her work is a reminder of the impact human beings have on nature. Combining natural and artificial found objects to create realistic animals and landscapes, Wales transforms both indoor and outdoor environments with creatures and habitats that appear to be frozen in time.
Feral Goose is one of five bronze geese Wales cast for DeCordova’s 1995 exhibition, Strokes of Genius: Mini Golf by Artists. This work addresses the ways in which we alter natural animal habitats through the creation of artificial landscapes such as golf courses. This realistic goose seems to confront the viewer in hostile confusion over a golf ball, which it clutches in its beak. Feral Goose echoes the message of many of Wales’ installations, asking the viewer to consider more fully the footprint we make on the natural world and the debris we leave behind.
