Frances Goodman - The Sweetest Ride

Frances Goodman creates atmospheric and immersive sound pieces that cross the boundaries between visual and media arts, and unveil everyday routines, obsessions and social interactions. Her works, presented as installations and sculptures, are influenced by South African society and the countries in which she has undertaken residencies. Goodman's art focuses specifically on the subject of middle class experience and prejudices; looking at everyday obsessions and superficial behavior (such as fanatic exercise culture, conventions of marriage and beauty) she explores the way individuals respond to our contemporary highly materialistic society and the idiosyncratic coping mechanisms they develop. Her works reflect a morbid ambiguity of excess and loss, a dislocation between appearance and truth. "Beautiful" or seductive objects, environnements and installations are used as a ruse to obscure the primary subject matter which is often dark, complicated and messy.