Jocelyn Shipley Hand Monster

I have to admit that I'm ethnically a goth, but I just don't get "goth." I'm pretty uncomfortable with the kind of grotesquerie represented by the work of Jocelyn Shipley, but I don't feel comfortable dismissing it, if for no reason other than my unwillingness to be bound by prejudice, even my own. I even hate to think that I'm just being slow in appreciating this work, yet I suspect there's more there than I'm able to see right now. That suspicion is reinforced by the fact that Shipley has the enthusiastic support of the excellent people at Canada.

So I'll admit that, for what it may be worth, for me a verdict is still pending, but here are a few shots of work from her recent show, "Pholklore," at the gallery, in the hope it will help more than one of us to figure it out.

Wow. Even if only for it's genre, it's pretty spectacular stuff, id'nit?

Jocelyn Shipley Hungry Man

Jocelyn Shipley Pantygram

Jocelyn Shipley Macaroni Man

All the works are from 2005, the dimensions vary, and the materials are generally found objects treated with paint, latex, or paper mache.