Hanging Fire (Suspected Arson)

Cornelia Parker

1999

Charcoal, wire, pins, and nails

Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

Cornelia Parker (Born 1956 in Cheshire, UK) is known for her poetic transformation of existing materials, which she achieves through processes that are both physical and conceptual. With an elegant sculptural hand she constructs works that function as richly evocative metaphors. Hanging Fire (Suspected Arson) is an outstanding example of Parker’s suspended sculptures. This major installation piece is constructed from the charred residue of an actual case of suspected arson. Here, Parker uses the materials as found, without transforming their physical nature. Yet in her hands, they constitute a spectacular explosion of form in space