Tim Noble and Sue Webster: Sticks with Dicks and Slits

Sticks with Dicks and Slits is a new body of sculptural works by Tim Noble and Sue Webster. Here the duo present pairs of giant self-portraits. These stick figures are sculpted in twisted bronze, an entirely new method for the artists.

Based on handmade maquettes made with electrical wire, the sculptures are an act of upscaling playful ephemera into physically domineering artworks with a permanency and scale that transcends human limitations.

The artists are well known for reacting to circumstance. They find inspiration by walking city streets and making sculpture from materials closest to hand in an urban environment. In the past, this has included inner city detritus, discarded personal objects and animal carcasses. However, the initial maquettes for this new body of work were created during a residency on the Caribbean island of St Bart’s. This idyllic environment was initially challenging for these urbanites who found themselves stripped of their usual impetus. Struggling with this creative impasse, they began doodling with electrical wire, quickly and intuitively producing two intimate self-portraits.