Art Stage Singapore 2017: Abigail Goldman

From a distance, the miniature dieoramas – emphasis on that first syllable – by artist Abigail Goldman appear to depict bucolic slices of Americana. Instead, they serve as a window into the human psyche, with murderous actions one might internalize acted out, and others nearby turning a blind eye to the proceedings. More “American Beauty” than 48 Hours, Goldman explores how society has become simultaneously fascinated with and numb to brutal crimes. (Note that the artist used to be a journalist as well as an investigator for the Federal Public Defender in Las Vegas.)

Take, for instance, “A Perfect Weekend” (2016), where an otherwise typical backyard outing includes a couple barbecuing the remains of one guest (a friend? Frenemy? Neighbor?). Meanwhile, another guest is face down in the pool and no one seems to care. In “Quick Fix” (2016), a mother calmly prepares to wash blood-stained sheets while her severed victim hangs from the clothesline alongside clean towels. Not your typical suburban front yard scene, but in portraying such violence in clear daylight, Goldman’s non-judgmental work forces the viewer to answer the question: what would you do if you witnessed such circumstances in reality?

Artist: Abigail Goldman
A Perfect Weekend (2016)
Assorted plastic, acrylic paint
20.3 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm
This work was sold at Art Stage Singapore 2017.
(photo by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine)