Sculptures for interior-, exterior- and public spaces
by Marjan Wouda

Extract of review on The Mare's Tale by Mary Sara

The anatomical exactness that comes from accurate observation imbues Marjan Wouda’s sculptures of animals with disconcerting physical veracity, yet their skin, hair, feathers, hooves, claws, paws and projecting bones show how the clay was impressed with a range of disparate materials and shaped before casting. Much, though not all, of her work is concerned with exploring the nature and burden of the role of mother. Her stoic she-goat passively accepts the alien presence of the laughing/barking dog and the calm drake that carries the terrified cat will, one feels, get them both safely to their destination. She explores the inherent tensions between the two sets of animals by the dynamic of the composition, and revels in the different qualities of fur and feathers. Ultimately however, the most powerful aspect of her art is its ability to engage each viewer on a personal imaginative and emotional journey through sympathetic identification with the creature depicted. If all this gets too serious, then her maddening dogs, whether playing dead, dancing, or doing a ‘hand stand’ surely liberate the mischievous child in us all. Such potential for identification shows us an artist who is no mere animalier but one for whom the subject of animals allows for the exploration of the human predicament.

Date:26/09/2006