We are a team of two established
artists who work together under the name of Grendel’s
Mother. This name was chosen out of sympathy with the female
monster from the famous medieval tale Beowulf who is never
given a name of her own. Grendel’s Mother strives
to bring art that combines the monstrous and the playful
into public forums. Our past projects have included collaborations
with civic organizations, universities, museums and schools.
We met as instructors at
the Crucible, a school devoted to linking arts, industry
and community in Berkeley, California. Trisha taught ceramics
and figure sculpture while David taught welded sculpture.
Our first collaborative
project involved leading a group of students and volunteers
in the fabrication of large paper mache sculptures for a
public arts festival. The success of this experience led
us to form Grendel’s Mother.
Since 2001 we have completed
ten projects that have ranged from permanent outdoor sculptures
to parade floats, using diverse materials such as fabric,
cement, cob, steel and mosaic.
As Grendel’s Mother
we have brought the process of sculpture to distinct communities.
We develop projects that fit the goals of an institution
to the skill sets of its members. Participants are involved
in conceptualization as well as fabrication. Ideally, everyone
comes away feeling a sense of authorship and an awareness
that the group has created something no one individual could
have done alone.