I just returned from a terrific 3 1/2-week residency at Yaddo. The space, people and staff were wonderful, and I got a lot of work done. My focus there was a new series of collages, some of which are pictured here. I will add images of other collages once I photograph them.
I am experimenting with new materials for my crocheted sculptures: jute, twine and cotton string. The forms are inspired by the plants I have growing in my apartment and by an odd-looking tree I saw in the Yucatan a few years ago.
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Austin College for the closing of my show, Prodigal Projects. It was a treat to see lots of old friends, to meet with students and to see how much the plants in my installation had grown since the exhibition opened.
I also received some excellent news recently on the artist residency front. I have been accepted for a month-long residency at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, New York for this spring and a year-long residency at Hatch Projects (sponsored by the Chicago Artists’ Coalition) starting this month. Both are wonderful opportunities to make art, get feedback and engage with an artistic community.
Installation shots from my solo exhibition, Prodigal Projects, at Austin College. The show runs through October 27, 2012.
Below is an installation shot from the Arts & Crafts event at Public House in Chicago. Even after the event, I continue to be inspired by Finch’s Threadless, a wonderfully hoppy, aromatic beer.
For the past few weeks I have been creating drawings for an artist-brewer mashup on August 8 sponsored by the Chicago Artists’ Coalition and Public House. My drawings celebrate the beautiful hop finish of Finch’s Threadless beer. Accordingly, I used lots of hops along with barley and beer bottles to create the drawings. I will post images of the finished work soon.
Below is a stop motion animation of a challenge I made to myself a few years ago: do a drawing using logs as drawing instruments.
Sarah Berkeley and I curated an exhibition entitled “PreOccupation,” which opens on Friday, June 15, 2012 on the second floor of the Fine Arts Building. Sponsored by A&DWORKS Chicago, an initiative of the University of Michigan School of Art & Design, the exhibition features visual, sound and performance work from 12 artists, examining the concept of obsessions, whether they be personal, political or professional. Check out our Facebook event page for more information:
This series was inspired by patterns I observed in Mexico a few summers ago.
