Frances Østerfelt

(CV last on the page)

Lenins Paper Ladies - Dolls made from books, dressed in Russian and Polish national costumes.

Tatiana

Natalja

Svetlana

Larisa

Anastasia

Ljudmila

Zanaida

Sofia

Tamara

Frances Østerfelt tells us a bit about her ladies:
A visit to the Polish city of Lodz was inspiration for these sculptures. On a wall of a building on the city’s main street was a sculpture of an open book resting on a pair of long, slim legs of a woman. One thought led to another – my dear husband can often read me like a book, which sometimes can be pretty annoying. An idea grew; and back in Copenhagen, it took shape. Ragged old books bought at a flea market were retrieved from storage, folded and pasted. A wooden head, some linen batting for hair and papier maché arms – voila! - a little lady. This series of sculptures is a sarcastic comment on the Russian situation. The books are Polish translations of Lenin’s writings published in 1970, to mark the centenary of his birth. The costumes are inspired by Russian and Polish national dress. Each sculpture is unique, each given its own name.

Here you can see the dolls from all sides. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Tatiana - 17 cm tall x 18cm wide

Natalja - 23.5 cm tall x 18cm wide

Svetlana - 17.5 cm tall x 18cm wide

Larisa - 17 cm tall x 18cm wide

Anastasia - 19 cm tall x 18cm wide

Ljudmila - 19 cm tall x 18cm wide

Zanaida - 23.5 cm tall x 18cm wide

Sofia - 23.5 cm tall x 18cm wide

Tamara - 23,5 cm høj - 18cm bred

2½D Artwork - Paintings hammered on to copper and painted with acrylic
Frances Østergaard explains: The earth's creatures fascinate. They all have personality and "anima" - soul - some more than others. The added ½ dimension of the hammered metal coupled with a special painting technique gives texture to an otherwise flat, inanimate image.
Click here to read more about her 'Metallica in the Making' as she calls it. She explains it all very well on her website and gladly takes commissions.

(These two works are no longer in the Art Box, but can be acquired.)

'Don Quixote' - hammered copper and acrylic paint

'Giraffe' - hammered copper and acrylic paint

a bit about Frances Østerfelt

Puppet maker, scene designer, scriptwriter, autodidact artist.
Born in USA (Russian-Polish background), formally trained as dental scientist (D.D.S. (USA), dr.odont. (Copenhagen University). Residing in Denmark since 1975.

Puppets,Dolls and Paper Maché Figures
  -  Has developed her own technique for papier maché and textile sculptures. Her papier maché figures have been in many shows and sold to collectors in Scandinavia, USA and Australia
Member of the Danish branch of UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionette).
She holds puppet and animation workshops for children and youths.
  -  Has developed her own technique of creating puppets by winding thin wire, which formed the basis for her prize winning debut film (“The Fantastic Flowershop”).
  -  Her puppet making skills have won her worldwide recognition as she is invited year after year to teach puppet making techniques around the globe.

Animation films
  -  “The Fantastic Flowershop”, which has been shown in more than 20 film festivals internationally (Children's prize in Poznan, Poland, Mar del Plata, Argentina, gold medal in Salerno, Italy, audience prize in Kazimierz, Poland, one of 14 films chosen to compete in Montreal, Canada, prize for the most innovative film in Orlando, Florida). Was the basis for an animation workshop for children, Animator Jutra (Animators of Tomorrow), in Poznan, Poland, July 2014.
  -  ”The Flax”, which was based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of the same name (2005) to celebrate the poet’s 200th birthday in Poland; ”Quest for Light” (2011), a tribute to Madame Curie in commemoration of the centenary for her 2nd Nobel Prize.

Other Pojects and Interests
  -  Co-author to several internationally respected textbooks.
  -  Has collaborated with a leading glassblower in experimenting with the interaction of blown glass and wire sculptures. Vases and sculptures thus created have been shown at censored exhibits in Europe and USA; and smaller items have been shown and sold to art groups in Denmark

Future Projects
  -  ”The Alchemist” , a tribute to Marie Curie and her family; ”A Fish’s Tale”, an animated film about protecting our seas.


www.francesoesterfelt.com