terra Goolsby

Due to my father’s career as a pilot I traveled a great deal throughout my childhood, finding myself intrigued by the use of technology and materials in different contemporary cultures. It is this intrigue and exploration that informs my work.
An attraction to synthetic and gender-geared products initiated a long process of material manipulation and experimentation with nail polish and plastics. Within this process I discovered a violent yet beautiful chemical reaction between the two, which consists of a series of multi-faceted hairline fractures.
This discovery led to the completion of a series of works between 2004 and 2006 each revealing an organic sensuousness within these synthetic materials. The works entitled Systems raise questions regarding technological advancements in bioengineering and its fashionable link to female anatomy while works like coalesce offer a more celebratory glimpse into an environment comprised of several novel microcosmic parts lending a futuristic, utopian experience.
As I further pursue my investigation of materials, technology, and their use in contemporary culture, I will continue to impart the common thread between them and my work, which is a sense of child-like wonder and discovery.

Terra Goolsby

	Terra Goolsby
From El Paso, Texas, born in 1976 Due to her travels she spent 4 years in El Paso so claims it as her home. Education: University of Texas at Austin, BFA, 2004 Lives and works in Austin Recipient of the Vermont Studio Center Artist's Residency Fellowship-2006	Work created at Vermont Studio Residency
Due to my father’s career as a pilot I traveled a great deal throughout my childhood, finding myself intrigued by the use of technology and materials in different contemporary cultures. It is this intrigue and exploration that informs my work. An attraction to synthetic and gender-geared products initiated a long process of material manipulation and experimentation with nail polish and plastics. Within this process I discovered a violent yet beautiful chemical reaction between the two, which consists of a series of multi-faceted hairline fractures. This discovery led to the completion of a series of works between 2004 and 2006 each revealing an organic sensuousness within these synthetic materials. The works entitled Systems raise questions regarding technological advancements in bioengineering and its fashionable link to female anatomy while works like coalesce offer a more celebratory glimpse into an environment comprised of several novel microcosmic parts lending a futuristic, utopian experience. As I further pursue my investigation of materials, technology, and their use in contemporary culture, I will continue to impart the common thread between them and my work, which is a sense of child-like wonder and discovery. Terra Goolsby	detail of above image
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