Untitled (Airplane)
Artist
Brenda Goodman
(American, born 1943)
Datec. 1976
MediumInk, pastel, watercolor on cardstock
DimensionsPaper Size: 6 × 8 in. (15.2 × 20.3 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineGift of Susan F. Rossen, 2013
Object numberUAC6090
DescriptionAn innocent, almost primitive drawing of an airplane juxtaposes the hand that made it. Brenda Goodman, a deeply complex and prolific artist, has over time grown into someone who is fearless when it comes to creating work that is raw and true to some of her darkest experiences and feelings. Beginning her career in Detroit during the Cass Corridor art movement, Brenda received her B.F.A from the College for Creative Studies (formerly the Society of Arts and Crafts) in 1965. Later on in her career she moved to New York City, keeping her ties with Detroit very strong. Goodman is recognized for her use of symbolism as a tool for self-expression in her early work. She's said "Wherever there's joy there's sorrow, wherever there's pain there's pleasure." Her art is also therapy, a place where she explores the most vulnerable parts of her inner experiences.Untitled (airplane), is unlike many of Goodman's works in the sense that it feels light and nostalgic to childhood in a very positive way. Although you can see the artist's hand in this work, there is something very streamlined about this piece, and because of its simplicity it almost feels childlike. Goodman takes the airplane, a dark object referring to the Vietnam War, and makes it more palatable through her whimsical drawing.
Text by Emily Lane Borden
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