Terra Goolsby

Lives and works in Austin, TX, USA

Artist statement

I am a Latinx multimedia artist that produces sculpture and works on paper to connect old narratives and make new cultural assessments. My childhood was spent moving every few years. My fascination with art began in Germany while exploring Medieval cities. The historical objects that I encountered in this foreign country had withstood time, consequently housing stories within them. Upon our return to El Paso, TX, I came into contact with my Mexican family heritage. My mother and her sisters told us supernatural stories about the Chupacabra, the earth goddess Coatlique, and our estranged family members who practiced voodoo. I took these stories for granted as much as I enjoyed them, as I simultaneously consumed and blended in with American Culture. My senior year, I discovered a talent for sculpture and eventually earned a BFA from UT Austin and an MFA from RISD. While studying at RISD in the northeastern United States, I unexpectedly missed family and the southwest and began to mine Meso-American mythology as a means of soothing my longing for home. What started out as a consolatory process, evolved into a reflexive exploration that compelled me to re-identify with my cultural heritage. I use materials and studio processes that relate to the concepts within the myths that I explore. Paper, fire, carbon, clay, bone, fabric, burning, stretching, casting, contorting, fusion, each serve their own symbolic purpose. In my Tales of Former Objecthood Series, I construct anew by...

Artwork