I depict fictional narratives, offering an open anecdote, allowing more complex undertones to be expressed. There is a humorous contradiction between the wealthy and glamorous world that I’m trying to emulate with the cheap, readily available materials, saccharine colour and the trashy anti-aesthetic of my work.
The “everyday” becomes spectacular and theatrical presented in a way that pushes our ideas of what is beautiful and ‘risks vulgarity’. I have a specific palette that I have developed to represent an anti-aesthetic; the epitome of gaudy and garish sculpture becomes ‘tasteful’ by its very tastelessness.
I am also interested in consumer culture practicing signs of accountability by making the unobtainable (i.e. Chanel handbags) obtainable by the physical reproduction of the object, with the material qualities inherent in my practice I make them aesthetically and unmistakably mine and by doing so create a fake world. This world is all cladded with a false façade, allowing a more hopeful, optimistic and transformative place to exist.
I often combine video and object, concealing the film within the sculptural form. The form functioning as an ‘in-between’, a meeting point connecting the real world to a world of fantasy. Sculptural forms are not only apparent in the presentation of my work, they also play an important role within the narrative of my videos performing as both prop and costume. My videos try to be epic with a feel-good factor, by means of their purposeful “failure” also become a satirical comment. I question escapism and fantasy, exploring the undisputed power of contemporary media culture, plugging the gaps in reality with a thick paste of sequins and lip-gloss.
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Rebecca Gould was born in Scotland, lived in Germany, England and Canada and grew up in Wales. Gould studied Sculpture at University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (1999 - 2002) and went on to complete her MA Fine Art at Central Saint Martin’s, London, graduating in 2005.
Gould has exhibited widely within group shows across Wales as well as in London, Denmark, Spain and Germany. Recent group exhibitions include: ‘Grange Gardens Sculpture Commission’, GALERIE8, London, 2011; ‘Middle of Nowhere’ and ‘Prop’, Departure Gallery, London, 2010; ‘Auxesis’, tactileBOSCH, Cardiff, 2009; ‘The Shaman Project III’, Plas Glyn Y Weddw, 2009; ‘If You Build It, They Will Come’, g39, Cardiff, 2008; ‘The Suitcase Project’, The Old Library, Cardiff and Beaver Projects, Copenhagen, 2007 and ‘Locws International 3’ in 2007.
Gould’s solo shows include, ‘Outlander’, Galeri, Caernarfon, 2010; ‘Beauty and The Beast’, The Ucheldre Centre, Holyhead, 2006 and ‘Dixi Trixi’, Spotlight@ Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno, 2003. She was awarded an Individual Artists Grant from The Arts Council of Wales in 2008. She now lives and works in London and North Wales.
