Andy Yoder – Donald, Martha & Sam,
Winkleman Gallery, New York, May 11 to June 9, 2007


Continuing his use of domestic objects, the focal point of the show is a group of three portrait busts, each in the form of an oversized glass piggybank.Over three years in the making and cast in brilliant colored lead crystal, they depict Donald Trump in a golden amber, Martha Stewart in pale green, and Wal-mart founder Sam Walton in gun-metal blue.

Rounding out the exhibition are a group of watercolor drawings showing likenesses of Donald Trump, Martha Stewart and Sam Walton depicted in miraculous circumstances, similar to the face of Mary appearing in the bark of a tree, or the Shroud of Turin.


Among many public sculpture projects and exhibitions, Andy Yoder was invited to exhibit in the 2007 American Academy of Arts and Letters Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Art.






Images from L -R from top :


Andy Yoder, “Donald”, 2007, Lead Crystal, 23″ x 23″ x 32″

Andy Yoder, “Sam”, 2007, Lead Crystal

Andy Yoder, Installation view of “Donald, Martha & Sam”, 2007

Andy Yoder, “Martha”, 2007, Lead Crystal



All Photos: Etienne Frossard

With prominent raised coin slots, the banks are a reflection of the varying degrees of notoriety each of them share concerning money, while the idealized, monumental styling of the heads reflects their status as celebrity icons of consumer culture. The use of colored crystal also serves as a metaphor for the fragile nature of success: despite its seductive beauty, it is easily shattered.


Accompanying these works are a series of Amish-style quilts draping the walls of the gallery, with symbols for money incorporated into their colorful, highly-patterned designs. As his last name indicates, Yoder’s family background includes Amish ancestry, lending these works an extra degree of personal resonance. For the artist, the slow accumulation of coins and meticulous piecing together of quilts are timeworn activities drenched in nostalgia, contrasting sharply with present-day concerns for money, success, and speed.