Base14

Now that I’ve been working solely as a studio artist for a bit of time I have begun to notice a pattern. My pieces are beginning to pile up around me in the studio. Already I feel as if I’m gathering my treasures like some ancient Egyptian ruler, preparing my tomb for future archeologists to discover and pick over long after my time is passed.

But this to me is a bizarre and depressing way to think about my art. The solution I have reached is to explore fragility; to essentially give my work a life cycle. This most recent piece made of silk, spruce and cotton thread is patiently waiting for when I release it out into the world where it will flourish in the most vivid activity of life while it is slowly battered and dematerialized into nothingness.

Ah, the sweetness of letting go.

Time for some recap. Coyote Song is a mini collection that I put together in September, 2011. Originally inspired by the song from The Seedy Seeds, it was how I made my transition between undergrad and grad. “I’m not afraid of what you got… singin’ your coyote song.” I used natural dyes made from materials found within walking distance of my studio and rust that had accumulated within the dye lab, allowing me to fully bond with the new environment I was living in. I used a shibori technique on crepe silk to emulate rock landscapes and kept the designs casual with a touch of sass. The accessories (including this clutch) are made out of the same tree stump that was used for dye. Serene, right? See the full set of looks here.

Tomorrow is the opening of the MFA show at Indiana University. I will be displaying my recent piece Moment, finished in November 2011. It is an exploration of the limits and possibilities of dyeing and felting. I used natural dyes to create basic tones of gray on wool roving which I then blocked out into areas to create a portrait before felting it into a piece. To the textiles orientated, this process in itself is a bit of a geek-fest.  Felting has many inherit difficulties (such as shrinkage) which make it difficult to have enough control over the work to create an image.

Moment presents a memory, soft and gentle. It is a moment of enlightened euphoria, affected by the haze of memory but with a physicality of surface firm enough to grasp onto. The choice of process reflects the necessary patience and resolve required to hold onto memories and maintain convictions. Distortion is unavoidable in both felting by hand and in the process of remembering moments. The resulting softness of the felt makes it desirable and conveys my own sense of longing for things past. (closeup)

I believe it’s time to introduce you to my studio. It’s a cozy space with one big desk, plenty of Base14 movie posters and just enough white space to keep me at ease. Last fall I relocated to Bloomington, Indiana where I am working on an MFA in Textiles. Since then I have been producing a vast array of work and trying to find my orientation within the world of contemporary art.

My work from the last six months has continued with themes from my senior collection such as topography and mapping, and has introduced investigations into memory, personal relationships and how I spend my time.

If you are in the Indiana area, you can view my new work starting on the 15th at the MFA Exhibition in the Grunwald Gallery of Art.

It’s been one year now since I first introduced the “Kissy Kiss” necklace. To celebrate this significant anniversary, I am now happily offering it for sale! After all, ’tis the season for little tiny kisses and big time lovin’. Each eensey person (only 7/8″ tall) is handmade out of clay, painted and glazed. Because every piece is made individually, each necklace is unique. You can get your own little pair of lovers for only $40 USD, but make sure to hurry because this production run is as tiny as these cuties!

Earlier this year I was in a motion media theory class where, for a final project, I decided to examine the way that digital tools are designed to emulate old-fashioned physical tools. For example, Microsoft Word is a typewriter emulator. iTunes is a jukebox emulator. Skype is a telephone emulator, etc.

So I set my sights on Adobe Photoshop, which is an emulator of a darkroom and an art table, and ended up with the above video art piece. You can view the YouTube page for the full description and theory discussion, but just to summarize, I used a combination live-action video and stop motion animation to simulate Photoshop occurring in the physical world. Whereas the digital usually imitates the physical, by inverting the process I call attention to its strengths and weakness as a user interface design methodology.

Heavy stuff, huh? Well, if you don’t like all the theory you can just watch it and laugh at how funny looking Windows 95 is by today’s standards. Haha! Look at that copy of Norton.

Sorry everyone, but it turns out that I am very bad at maintaining a life/blog balance. I have been so busy working on cool things that I forgot to share them with you!

Since Tyler has started to release character designs, I can finally post pictures of my favorite new ring.  Based on a character from The Girl and the Fox, this clay figurine is a loveable little scamp that is sure to charm his way into your heart and attract attention. Seriously, what’s better than having a little snow fox friend with you all day?

What do you think? Want to see him for sale on Base14 merch?