Petah Coyne

Petah Coyne (born 1953) is a contemporary American sculptor and photographer best known for her large and small scale hanging sculptures and floor installations.

[16] In these newer works, Coyne layers wax-covered materials such as pearls, ribbons and silk flowers into large sculptural forms, often incorporating taxidermied birds and animals.

[3] Like the wide array of materials used throughout her oeuvre, Coyne derives inspiration from a variety of sources, such as literature, film, world culture, the natural environment, and personal stories.

[16] Her work is described as having a "Baroque sense of decadent refinement,"[16] imbued with a magical quality that details deeply personal responses to her inspirations, while inviting viewers to consider their own.

This exhibition highlighted not only the diversity of Coyne's work and her innovative use of materials (including black sand, car parts, satin ribbons, trees, silk flowers, and taxidermy), but the relationships between the wide-ranging phases of her practice as it has evolved over time.

[16] In 2016, Petah Coyne and Kathy Grove debuted their project The Real Guerrillas: The Early Years, at Galerie Lelong in New York, Narrative/Collaborative, an exhibition of photographic works generated through collaborative practices.

"ARTnews on "Petah Coyne: Everything That Rises Must Converge"[20] “The centerpiece of this dark, fairy-tale-like milieu is Untitled #1336 (Scalapino Nu Shu), 2009-10, a magnificent apple tree coated in black sand.