THE HAMMOCK
THE HAMMOCK
Bronze, 2021
W x L x H
20 x 12 x 11 inches
Limited Edition of 10
Laura Teste
THE HAMMOCK is not what one expects from an artist during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two figures are caught in riotous laughter and tangled together in a hammock. The extensive variety of unpretentious textures boosts the simple theme of friendship. A rich hammock fringe complements the brushed cotton tank tops, denim caps, and an actual twig. The casual treatment is unique in the Laura Testé catalogue. Testé claims that she chose to use her art to fill the void left by virtual happy hours over Zoom. “It was winter, it was covid, and I wanted a Jimmy Buffet moment. The jumble of joy epitomizes the choice of friends over fortune. We should all be so lucky to have someone that makes us live our best life,” said Testé.
THE HAMMOCK is the fourth sculpture from the PAIR SERIES (2020-2022) where Testé depicted deeply bonded pairs of figures.
THE HAMMOCK was part of “Heroines 2024” a Laura Testé solo show hosted by the University of Michigan Taubman Health Center, was selected for juried exhibitions in 2023 for “Sanctuary” by Grosse Point Art Association and in 2022 for “ArtPrize International Competition”
The intimate friendship and enthusiasm for each other is what I hope to convey in “The Hammock”.
We should all be so lucky to have someone in our lives that makes us live our best life.
THE HAMMOCK
Me and you, fireballs,
we burned a bridge or two,
Buccaneers we got the same tattoo,
Now to the end, it’s me and you
From the start, you pushed me
to lean in with my heart,
Pushed me home in a chrome shopping cart,
Now to the end, right off the chart.
It’s a state of mind
To unwind, laugh till we tear.
All we left behind
Just to find a hammock here.
New careers, we used to
hold those wolves by their ears,
But hold our calls when the sun appears.
Now to the end, true profiteers.
Full upgrade, we traded
the boardroom vain crusade,
All for this ocean view in the shade,
Now to the end, best plan we made.
It’s a state of mind
To unwind, laugh till we tear.
All we left behind
Just to find a hammock here.
From the brink, I swear that
you are my missing link,
In the sun, joking and turning pink,
Now to the end, A toast and wink.
Why complain? We’re not yet
circling down round the drain,
No rues nor regrets to entertain,
Now to the end, A bit insane.
It’s a state of mind
To unwind, laugh till we tear.
All we left behind
Just to find a hammock here.
