Unused To

2007
Black, Karla
Karla Black works with materials found in a domestic, and often female, environment such as sugar paper, toothpaste, nail varnish, body cream and hairspray. She creates her works in the space in which they are shown, revealing the physical transformation of her materials from everyday, household items to considered sculptural form. Her manipulation results in twists, tears, punctures and the evidence of movement left behind, like the powdery residue of sugar crystals or the fine dust from cosmetics coating the gallery floor. Karla Black's delicate work challenges the preconceptions of the sculptural tradition, which was often characterised by the use of more 'masculine' materials of stone, marble and bronze. The fragility and impermanence of her works are suggestive of the frailty of the ageing human body. Rachel Arndt
  • Artwork Details: 2 parts, each variable
  • Edition:
  • Material description: sugar paper, chalk, polythene, toothpaste, nail varnish, hair gel, ribbon
  • Credit line: © the artist
  • Theme:
  • Medium:
  • Accession number: ACC3/2007

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The Arts Council Collection is the UK's most widely seen collection of modern and contemporary art.

With more than 8,000 works by over 2,000 artists, it can be seen in exhibitions and public displays across the country and beyond. This website offers unprecedented access to the Collection, and information about each work can be found on this site.