Bella Feldman Paper Sculpture "Metamorphic Sea Turtle" (American, 1930-2024)

Bella Tabak Feldman (American, 1930-2024). "Turtle Woman" papier mache sculpture, 1970s to early 1980s. A fascinating papier mache sculpture created as a maquette for a cast fiberglass resin sculpture titled "Metamorphic Sea Turtle." Featuring the stirring form of a human face protruding from the shell of a turtle. The reptile stretches its fore fins outwards in elegant arches that highlight the teardrop shape of the animal formed via an ovoid shell and pointed tail. His long neck curiously extends forward, while the human visage on its carapace displays closed eyes, a round nose, and full lips surrounded by outlined lateral scutes. Bella Feldman used the shapes of animals mingled with human forms to comment on characteristics of mankind and its predicament. Made as a maquette, the final version of this sculpture was done in lifelike, colored resin intended to convey the quiet paralysis of sea creatures trapped on land. Size of sculpture: 17.6" L x 15.4" W x 3.6" H (44.7 cm x 39.1 cm x 9.1 cm); of custom case: 21.4" L x 18.4" W x 5.75" H (54.4 cm x 46.7 cm x 14.6 cm)

In Autumn 1983 - one year after this sculpture was exhibited - Bella Tabak Feldman published the article "A View of Evolution Expressed in Sculpture: A Reflection of Nuclear Angst" in the journal "Leonardo" (Vol.16, No. 4, pp. 259-264). The abstract reads: "In the light of the ever-present threat of nuclear holocaust and the possible survival of only the most primitive of organisms, Bella Feldman explores the underlying meaning of the 'evolution' of her sculptures, from the complex animal images of her early works to the abstract, primary images of simple organic life forms she now creates." In the article, Feldman describes her sculpture writing: "The sculptures I've created for the last decade are visual expressions of my ideas on evolution and my reactions to our own species' psychological alienation from the general fabric of organic life. All are based on animal images. My earliest works were specific, with strong narrative and surreal qualities. In the past five years, my images have become more abstract, with reference to primary shapes found in simple organisms."

An American sculptor, Bella Tabak Feldman's work addressed the themes of sexuality, war, and the persistent anxiety of the industrial age. Feldman was known for pioneering the use of glass with steel. Her work has affinities with Surrealism, Post-Minimalism, and the Feminist art movement, although she has no formal affiliation with these. She was a Professor Emeritus at the California College of the Arts. Feldman has won numerous awards for her work, and her sculpture is featured in private and museum collections, including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the di Rosa Preserve, Napa, CA, and the Palm Springs Desert Museum. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at museums and galleries including The Oakland Museum of California; the Berkeley Art Museum; Musee des Beaux Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland; the Alternative Museum, New York; the Contemporary Jewish Museum San Francisco; Habatat Galleries, Chicago and Royal Oaks, MI; and Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles. Feldman was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts' Individual Artists award in 1986 and received Distinguished Artist Awards from Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA (2004), and Women's Caucus for Art (2005).[citation needed] A fifty-year survey of her work took place at the Richmond Art Center in 2013."

Bella Feldman's biography on her website states: "Sculptor Bella Feldman has more to say, more art to make, and more people to reach. A visit to her studio in Oakland, California, reveals the artist's mind working out the details.

Feldman communicates through metaphor, juxtaposing the strength of steel and the fragility of glass, deftly crafting large- and small-scale sculptures - from series of elegantly composed 'Flasks of Fiction' to playfully poignant 'War Toys.'

A pioneer among women sculptors, Feldman creates tension through her materials and expresses themes drawn from her own life experiences - including the Depression, the Holocaust, and many wars. Although she and her work appear tough as nails, neither is invincible. Her life (and ours), like the glass blown into her sculptures, is delicate.

Feldman's message is timeless and delivered in a curious fashion that never ceases to compel us to look, think and engage in her art. - Steven Biller, August 2012."

Please note that this sculpture was exhibited at the San Jose Museum of Art in San Jose, California as part of the "Bella T. Feldman / Sculpture" exhibition in 1982

$1,000 - $1,500

21.4" x 18.4" x 5.75"

Fine Art, Works on Paper

18%

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