The Carmen Miranda Suite (installation view), 2004
The Altar of the Ascension of Carmen Miranda, mixed media, 2004I have always had an affinity for found trophies. Its interesting to me that someone worked hard to accomplish something; was then given a plastic and marble object to commemorate the event; and that the object was discarded by them or someone else. I've used trophies in my art before, primarily in the Carmen Miranda Suite and always been excited to find something strange like a girl on her back kicking a soccer ball, a salesman, or (my favorite) a poodle.
Today at Goodwill there was a gigantic collection of trophies, probably thirty to forty. Most were for swimming, but there was a derby one, a couple of basketball ones and five beauty queen trophies. Five. I could not resist them.
They are all for third or fourth place and from two different years. It's apparent that the owner of these trophies tried really hard to win beauty pageants and was moderately successful. I am thinking she probably won first place at some point, but kept that one since it was the most important to her. Right now, they are just going to be decorative, but in the future they might become part of an art project.