House Coat, 1988
Mixed Media with Collage, 38" x 51" x 7"
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1952, Shelley Laffal studied at the Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore, and the California Institute of Arts, Valencia. A sculptor and a draftsman, Laffal has exhibited her work at galleries and art centers in Florida and Washington, D.C. Her work has been influenced by the colors and patterns of the places she has visited in the Southwest and Florida. In 1985 she began an ongoing series of garment sculptures that explore the layers of personal and historical references implied in clothing. The fiberglass and resin sculptures are molded to suggest that each piece is inhabited by a moving figure, swirling, turning, and reaching. The energy of this movement is enhanced by her use of vibrant colors.
*Excerpted from Tools as Art: The Hechinger Collection, published by Harry N. Abrams Inc.