“Orange You Glad To Be American?!”

Artists' Statement
Americans can be such prudes when it comes to sex. People scandalize it, condemn it; slut shame and perpetuate a Puritanical mindset in regards to what is paradoxically everyone's favorite pastime. In our piece "Orange You Glad To Be American?!" we address the secrecy and hush-hush nature of sexuality in this country by using iconography of classic Americana, specifically the white picket fence on the perfectly manicured green lawn.  Placed in the middle is a bloated orange house/body form, whose skin is ambiguously textured: ribbed for their pleasure, or diseased to their displeasure? The symbol of freedom and all that is sacred flies frantically from the flapping phallus. AMERICA!!

About the Artists
Emily Peacock (b. 1984 Port Arthur, Texas) received her B.S. from Sam Houston State, Huntsville in 2006 and her M.F.A. from University of Houston in 2011. Peacock was a 2013-2014 Lawndale Artist Studio Program artist-in-residence and she recently received the Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant for 2016. Her work has been show at: Diverseworks, Houston, Beefhaus, Dallas (solo), Jonathan Hopson Gallery, Houston (solo), Lawndale Art Center, Houston, Deep Ellum Windows, Dallas (solo), Blaffer Art Museum, Houston. Her work has also been show in Vienna, Austria and the U.K. Peacock’s work is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Patrick Renner is a Houston-based sculptor who received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2004 and his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2006. Large civic works include the installation of Funnel Tunnel, a 180-ft steel and wood sculpture involving the public, in Houston (2013) and New Orleans (2015).

In addition to a rigorous personal studio practice, Renner recently co-founded Flying Carpet LLC with partner Kelly O'Brien (engineering lead). Flying Carpet is a company dedicated to the design, fabrication, and installation of large-scale public sculpture. They recently finished two new works in Texas: Trumpet Flower, at Main Street Square in downtown Houston, standing 6 stories tall  and comprised of wood and steel; and RHYZ at Austin's Domain Northside development, made of woven stainless steel strips atop 3 custom cast concrete columns.

More on these artists: 

http://emilyannpeacock.com/

http://patrickrennerart.com/