Inspired by the recent history of her native Colombia, Doris Salcedo creates sculptures that address the effects of war, political oppression, and other acts of violence. Composed of found materials—including domestic furniture, remnants of clothing, and human bones—her works tell harrowing tales of trauma and affliction.
In La casa viuda IV (Widowed House IV), a door flanked by bedposts, a woman's diaphanous blouse, and a slender bone create an uncanny domestic scene, suggesting irrevocable loss. "I believe that the major possibilities of art are not in showing the spectacle of violence but instead in hiding it," the artist has said. "It is the proximity, the latency of violence that interests me."
Gallery label from Contemporary Art from the Collection, 2011.
