Sidney Goodman, Tierra

This nine-foot tall sculpture of a pregnant woman encircled by snakes and children’s heads is hauntingly apocalyptic. The figure’s limbs are bound and restricted by the chaos, as her back is arched and her stomach forcefully exposed. Perhaps this mother is an allegory for the suffocation and destruction of “mother earth.” Goodman found inspiration in the dark-worldview depictions of the painter Francisco Goya, this work being no exception.

Goodman’s work is enigmatic. As here, he often addresses the corporeality of human existence and concerns of chaos, destruction, and death. His work is largely allegorical and a commentary on modern life. Best known for his large oil paintings and drawings, Goodman’s work in sculpture is comparatively rare to come by.

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