Sandy Skoglund
Shimmering Madness
(b. 1946)
American 1998 Jellybeans, wood, plastic, metal, and motors Museum purchase 2001.34
Candyland
What are jellybeans doing in an art museum? Step closer and take another look. What is unusual? Does anything move? Prepare to think of food differently as you enter Sandy Skoglund’s colorful world.
A Day in the Life
Tools and Techniques
Strike a Pose!
Shimmering Madness started as a photograph, and Skoglund subsequently made this installation. Watch the video below to see how the artist and models shot the photograph, and then look at the photograph below, which is also in The DAI’s permanent collection (currently on view in the Experiencenter).
Sandy Skoglund (American, b. 1946), Shimmering Madness, 1998, printed 2005, image: 36 x 45 7/8 inches, sheet: 40 7/8 x 50 13/16 inches. Museum purchase, 2005.22. Shimmering Madness © 1998 Sandy Skoglund
Poll
Which do think is more interesting: the installation or the photograph?
Behind the Scenes
Puzzle Pieces
Skoglund has made many installations like Shimmering Madness. Installing one of these requires efficient coordination of many workers and materials. See what goes into the process in the following video for the installation of The Cocktail Party at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas.
Sandy Skoglund's "The Cocktail Party": the installation at the McNay in 2 minutes from The McNay Art Museum on Vimeo. Video © McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Artwork © 1992 Sandy Skoglund
Look Closer
Just for Kids
Pick A Number!
Quiz
Can you guess how many jellybeans are in “Shimmering Madness”?
5,000
15,000
35,000
50,000
Signs & Symbols
Dig Deeper
Food in Fine Art?
Sandy Skoglund has used real food in many of her artworks, including raw hamburger, strips of raw bacon, chewing gum, and raisins. In The Cocktail Party, seen below, she used Cheez Doodles as a medium. In a 2008 interview, Skoglund explained why she uses food in her art:
From the end of the seventies I used the subject of food as a means to create a common language. After all, everyone eats. So, my purpose in working with the subject of food was initially to create a bond with the spectator of my work.
Luca Panaro, “Interview with Sandy Skoglund,” August 2, 2008, http://www.sandyskoglund.com/pages/published/pages_publish/luca.html.
Looking at Shimmering Madness, what do you associate jelly beans with? Consider what broader cultural associations jelly beans have, and how Shimmering Madness would change if you used a different candy.
Sandy Skoglund (American, b. 1946), The Cocktail Party, 1992, cibachrome print, 48 x 65 inches. Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio (artwork © 1992 Sandy Skoglund; photograph courtesy of Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries).
Arts Intersected
The Sculpture Speaks
Did You Know?
Expert Opinion
Look Around
About the Artist
Talk Back
Art in Motion
Shimmering Madness includes thousands of hand-painted, synthetic butterflies that have tiny motors. These are set on a timer and periodically “fly,” activating the background. How does this “active” feature affect the way you see and interact with the artwork?
