Portfolio
Rattlesnake Figure (Aluminum)

2011
Aluminum, 10' 10 1/2" x 29" x 29"
(331.5 x 73.7 x 73.7 cm)
Gagosian Gallery

Rattlesnake Figure (Aluminum) was cast after a wooden figure that Houseago carved with a chainsaw out of a massive block of cedar. Houseago has spoken of the enjoyment he takes in giving form to a solid slab, an age—old practice for artists working in wood or marble. The thin figure has a totemic presence and a rough appearance, which speaks to its connection to a natural, mystical power. Houseago made the work after his young daughter found rattlesnakes outside their home in the Tujunga area of Los Angeles, and engaged in what he saw as an archaic dance with them.