Sterling Ruby

Taka Ishi Gallery, Tokyo
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Tokyo, Taka Ishi Gallery, Sterling Ruby: New Works, 2010

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the fangs tend more towards a rich coral. Condition: This work is in very good condition.
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Immediately recognisable as the enlarged mouth of one of the world’s most popular mythological creatures, Sterling Ruby’s Vampire 10, is a great example of the artist’s recent experiments with soft works. These stuffed fabric sculptures, which take many different shapes, at first seem to stand in stark contrast with the solid stalagmite and ceramic sculptures that Ruby is better known for, but are in fact a clever continuation of his multi-faceted practice.

Throughout Ruby’s work there is an apparent fascination with marginalised practices – both artistic and unartistic – which are expressed through his use of graffiti in his spray paintings, quilts in his bleach collages, ceramics as a material for his sculptures, and an outspoken interest in criminal gang culture and the prison system. In each case, his chosen medium or subject has been repressed in dominant histories and discourses, often both materially and intellectually. In a characteristic disregard of such established hierarchies and power structures, Ruby’s work explicitly engages with these themes as an alternative to the mainstream narratives. As the artist explains his use of fabrics himself: “in America, masculinity is generally not associated with the fiber arts, craft or sewing. As a matter of fact the typical portrayal of the male who sews is often that of the outsider or criminal” (Sterling Ruby quoted in: Mirjam Johansson, ‘Making the Comfortable Uncomfortable’, Bonnierkonsthall, 2012, online resource).

Sterling Ruby’s interest in fabrics was perhaps first articulated during his time as a studio assistant to Mike Kelley, who would often bring up the inherent gender bias in craft and domesticity, but also has its roots in his unconventional upbringing. Growing up amidst the Amish communities, Ruby was fascinated by the Gee’s Bend – a traditional practice that integrates old fabrics into hand-made quilts. This marginalised practice has become an inspiration for his fabric works, that explore a material that is often ignored in artistic practices, or considered to be quintessentially feminine. "’Soft Work' is only a didactic term. It's not hard, it's not solid, it's malleable. This term refers to what the installation is. It's a fiber sculpture but it's also in reference to several centuries of art using textiles, to art therapy, and to feminism, especially. In America, there is a domesticity that is not associated with masculinity — or if it is, it's usually associated with a difference, a contradiction" (Sterling Ruby quoted in:  Juliette Soulez, ‘A Hard Look at “Soft Work,” Sterling Ruby’s Cushy and Satirical Solo Exhibition in France’, Blouin Artinfo, 3 June 2012, online resource).