Francis Upritchard refers to her figures as “holy fools.” They often resemble characters from the past, or figures from historical paintings in sculptural form, but they somehow maintain the ambiguity and self-reflective quality of the present. Awkward and in self-contained, gestural poses, they embody psychological states rather than narrative moments, seen here in the figure of a knobby-kneed knight who gazes out over his awkwardly clenched hand. Francis Upritchard was born in New Zealand and is currently based in London. She represented New Zealand in the 53rd Venice Biennale.
Francis Upritchard
KNIGHT
2011
modeling material, foil, wire, and marble
62 1/2 x 18 1/8 x 14 3/16 inches