Laura Ford: Actual, Factual Fables July 17, 2011

The highly inventive figures and animal forms of Welsh-born sculptor Laura Ford have been the focus of widespread critical acclaim across the United Kingdom, and increasingly, throughout Europe. Utilizing a variety of materials and found objects, Ford presents creatures that initially disarm or charm the viewer with humor and warmth, but are ultimately poignant reminders of the frailties of human condition or the inequities of social order. The use of animal imagery to illustrate human circumstances calls to mind traditions ranging from Aesop to Beatrix Potter, yet the realization of form and the power of message conveyed is decidedly contemporary. This is the sculptor's first solo exhibition in the United States.