Frances Goodman’s work focuses primarily on themes of female identity and contemporary notions of beauty and desire. On her website, Goodman explains her artistic interests lie “in female identity and the anxieties that manifest and are cultivated from the bombardment of the media as well as societal expectations and pressures (both self-imposed and external).” She continues, “desire and morality are underlying themes and talk to the push-pull of our contemporary society.”
 
The Pole Dancer Earrings are directly linked to those interests, depicting an occupation that is often shamed and condemned. In this piece, Goodman celebrates the female body through a conventionally feminine fashion accessory, while drawing our attention to the ambivalent position that sex workers occupy in society.

 

pole lady: 4.7 x 7.4 cm | lady on ring: 4.8 x 8 cm | silver | unique

 
South African artist Frances Goodman’s (b. 1975) practice includes installation, photography, sculpture and sound installations. In 2003 she graduated from the HISK (Higher Institute for Fine Art) in Antwerp, Belgium. She is currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa.