Stephen Lee

Sculptor

Straw Men

A series of straw works, still a current interest, was initiated while living near Washington DC in the 1990s. This period has been described as the 'Culture Wars', when censorship of the arts was a hotly debated issue. The figures are inspired by a combination of English Corn Dolls and Appalachian corn-husk dolls and are exhibited in a multicultural context where artists create doll-like figures that make reference to their own particular heritage. The metaphor of 'straw man' has many meanings. I am particularly interested in the American term 'straw man' which refers to a corporate fall guy- someone set-up to take the blame for a political conspiracy or intrigue.