Amanda Kai Newman

These wings are based on the painting The Birth of Venus by Alexander Cabanal. The five little angels or amorini (love gods) flutter above her languid body and observe her splendor as she floats on the waves of the ocean from which she was born. She is the very object of desire. I wanted the wings to be about love and the desire to be loved. The wings are made from heated and non heated Fosshape, two been dyed various shades of blue.

This is a close up of two of the white Fosshape wings. These wings were heated in partial areas . There are three of these white wings.

This wing comments on the multiple representations of the Archangel Gabriel that appear in multiple images of the Annunciation. Curiously, this is the same angel that plays a critical role in “Angels in America.” This powerful angel, whose voice announces transformation, functions as a catalyst for change. The base structure for the wing uses wire, heated fosshape and a styrofoam noodle. The wing itself is made fully from Fosshape that has been cut in the basic shape of feathers, with a wire sew

This image depicts the feathering of Fosshape with wax added.

This image depicts the feathering of Fosshape with wax added.

These wings are based on the story of Icarus and how he flew too close to the sun. They are inspired by the work of Herbert James Drapers, Lament For Icarus. The size of the wings drew me to the project and taking the material and stretching it to its limits. The wing is made from Fosshape, a thermoplast material that has been heated and manipulated. Other material used include wire, wax, hot glue, hair, dirt, charcoal and ash.