The meticulously and patiently crafted sculptures of Silvia B. are in the first instance highly attractive, luring the viewer to come and take a closer look. It is then that their disquieting aesthetic becomes apparent as it is realised that their beauty is of no ordinary kind. These figures are hybrid beings: between man and beast, doll and robot, confusing gender and age.
In her latest series of drawings, entitled ‘Les Beaux’ (2005-2006), this ambiguity is less apparent. These portraits are of men who have customised their appearance or decorated themselves in some way with the use of make-up, tattoos, piercings, etc. What can be observed is the way these works juxtapose machismo posturing with vanity, clean-cut looks with rugged facial characteristics and mental toughness with physical deficiency.
These representations by Silvia B. challenge our hemmed in conceptions of beauty and normality. By probing the outer reaches of these terms, they search at once for something more complex and multifaceted.
