Sculpture to Wear - a history

Sculpture to Wear began in 1980 in response to a project set by tutor Bill Varley in my first year at Newcastle University. I returned to the idea and title in the late 1990s as the interactive architectural sculptures I was making became increasingly flexible and close to the body. From 2008 I started purposefully making sculptures which could be worn and moved around in. The sculptures are sheltering spaces, a form of armour protecting from the harms of the outside world. Or creating a refuge for the self to inhabit and transform, cocoons. Observation of wildlife and identification with it, as the environmental crisis becomes apparent, has become part of their stories. 

Since 1980 I have now made over 50 sculptures as part of the series, many worn during by family and friends during private interactions and recorded through photographs, film and animation. Others worn during performances with collaborators, some made specifically for them.

 

Victoria Rance Discus Thrower 1980

  
Victoria Rance Discus Thrower 1980  
Victoria Rance Sea Change De la Warr Pavilion 2001


Victoria Rance Bucolic 2000


Victoria Rance Ark 1997 at Sculpture at Goodwood

Victoria Rance Kamara 2000

Victoria Rance Incarnation 1997 with Clare Whistler photo David Goldblatt

Victoria Rance Magdalena 1999 with Sophia Pemberton
Victoria Rance The Holy Fool at St Mary Woolnoth 2001 
Victoria Rance Cage 2001
Victoria Rance Mama 2003
Victoria Rance Dream 2004 at Standpoint Gallery
Victoria Rance Tepee 2003 
Victoria Rance Camera Obscura with Clare Whistler 2002

Victoria Rance Boat 2004 St Andrew's Waterloo

Victoria Rance Pulpit 2005 with Paul Tonkin

Victoria Rance Space for a Woman 2007 with Liz Harrison

Victoria Rance Space for a Boy 2007
Victoria Rance Mantilla 2008 with Clare Whistler

Victoria Rance Dishcloth Piece 2008

Victoria Rance Duster Piece 2008

Victoria Rance Cloak of Invisibility 2008 with Clare Whistler
Victoria Rance Cloak of Invisibility 2008 with the artist

Victoria Rance Her Skin 2009 with Liz Harrison
Victoria Rance Her Skin 2009 with Liz Harrison

Victoria Rance Caterpillars 2009 with Cole and Anders
Victoria Rance Wasp Spider 2009

Victoria Rance Wasp Beetle 2009 with Cole Pemberton

Victoria Rance Cole as Worm 2009 

                         

Victoria Rance Cloak 2009 with Sophie Pemberton

Victoria Rance The Executioner of Riwa 2009


Victoria Rance Cole as Carmine 2010 (animation still)
                                   Link to Cole in Carmine animation
Victoria Rance In Armour 2010 with Rebecca Boucher Burns
                                    Link to In Armour animation
Victoria Rance Tears 2010 with Clare Whistler

Victoria Rance Wedding Dress 2010 

                     Link to animation with Nina Villanueva Rance

Victoria Rance Nut/Nuit 2010

                                                
Victoria Rance Nut/Nuit 2010 with Lydia Julien in 2018

Victoria Rance The Accoutrements of Perseus 2012

Victoria Rance Cole as Perseus 2012 animation still
                     Link to Perseus and Medusa animation
Victoria Rance Medusa 2012 with Nina Villanueva Rance animation still
                   Link to Medusa animation
Victoria Rance Speedwell with Queenie Burns 2011

Victoria Rance Space for a Girl 2011
Victoria Rance Space for a Girl 2011

Victoria Rance Cloak of Mercury 2012 with Ben Burns

Victoria Rance Cloak of Mercury 2012

Victoria Rance Wedding Crown 2012 with Sophia Pemberton

Victoria Rance Wedding Crown and Top Hat 2012



          
               Link to The Wedding animation

Victoria Rance Top Hat 2012

Victoria Rance Tabard 2013
                                                                                
Victoria Rance Tabard 2013 with Charlotte Law 2019
                                 Link to Pan and the goddess animation

Victoria Rance As Rat Fasnacht costume 2013


Victoria Rance As Witch Fasnacht costume 2013

Victoria Rance We Beseech Thee, Fasnacht 2013

Victoria Rance As Loki, Fasnacht animation still 2013

                                          Link to Fasnacht animation

Victoria Rance SOS 2013

Victoria Rance SOS 2013 with SRP

Victoria Rance Gatekeeper Helmet 1 2014

Victoria Rance Gatekeeper Helmet II 2014

Victoria Rance Sisters I 2014

Victoria Rance Sisters II 2014

Victoria Rance Grey Heron and Hummingbird 2015

Victoria Rance Monkey Mask and Cloak 2015
                       Link to Monkey Mask animation
Victoria Rance Myth-The People of the Sun 2017

                                                                                  
Victoria Rance still from Myth 2017
                                             Link to Myth animation         
Victoria Rance Sacred Marriage performance with Lia Mazzari and Charlotte Law 2019
                                                                                  
Victoria Rance Otherworld performance 2019 with Blanc Sceol

                    Link to Swallowhead performance film 

                    Link to Otherworld performance recorded  by Peter Bach

Victoria Rance In Real Life 2021 with Lydia Julien
Link to In Real Life Performance recorded by Cole Pemberton
 
Victoria Rance Firebird 2021
Link to Firebird Film

Victoria Rance Ocarina - Little Goose 2022 with Stephen Sheill

Victoria Rance Ocarina Little Goose 2022 with Hannah White


Victoria Rance Shroud of Thorness 2023
 
Victoria Rance 12,000 Grandmothers with Cole Pemberton 2024



Victoria Rance Shifts Red and Green 2024

Grey Heron and Hummingbird with Nina Villanueva Rance 2024

 

With many thanks to all my collaborators.
copyright Victoria Rance 1980-2024 unless otherwise stated.