
Bedecked in rose quartz, beads, rhinestones, and punch cups, cup runneth (2023) presents a resplendent assemblage reminiscent of a human figure. vanessa german (who purposefully stylizes her name in lowercase letters), has created this artwork to invoke love and healing, turning to the Kongo tradition of nkisi sculptural power figures for inspiration.
german’s artistic practice spans media, also including performance, installation, and community activism. When constructing her sculptures, she employs a wide range of materials — some found in her community, others sourced from across the country — as essential “ingredients,” as the artist calls them. In cataloging the materials, german frequently lists the metaphysical components that she considers indivisible from the physical objects. For example, in cup runneth, she ends her extensive media list (see image credit) with “heart, Soul stamp, and the edge of hope.” These juxtapositions establish context for her selected materials while also relating to her wordsmithing talents as a performer and poet.
After many years running her ARThouse (a community studio, garden, outdoor theater, and artist residency) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, german (born 1976) now lives in Asheville, North Carolina. cup runneth is the first piece by german to enter an institutional collection within the Triangle and is part of her most recent explorations in which she mines the formal and symbolic potential of rose quartz as a primary element within her media.
— Lauren Turner, associate curator for contemporary art and special projects
Image credit:
vanessa german, American, born 1976, cup runneth, 2023, the artist’s braid dangling from rose quartz and jade tree, beads, rhinestones, beaded glass trim, punch cups, Astroturf, mirror, wood, heart, Soul stamp, the edge of hope, 43 1/2 × 26 1/2 × 19 1/2 in. (110.5 × 67.3 × 49.5 cm). Charles and Isabel Eaton Trust, 2024.22. © vanessa german. Courtesy of the artist and Kasmin, New York.