Petah Coyne

Petah Coyne was born in Oklahoma City in 1953 and is currently living and working in NYC. She graduated from Kent University in 1973 and the Art Academy of Cincinatti in 1977. Her work has been exhibited all over, but most notably at the Whitney Biennial in 2000. Her work consists mainly of large scale sculptures (as in 10ft.) made of a variety of materials, like wood, hay, soil, tar, chicken wire, sand, taxidermy, ribbons, hair, flowers, and bird cages. From those materials she creates lush surfaces that the viewer can easily caught up in. Petah refers to her sculptures as her "girls" and she explores the concept of how close beauty is to decay. Her sculptures are influenced by her study of art history, specifically Dutch still life and baroque sculpture, as well as her religious upbringing.