2019 Women’s History Month Blog Responses
1. Can you tell us a bit about your current artistic practice? Any new projects that you are working on?
My artistic practice is something deeply personal and specific to myself, but probably speaks to the sort of universal experience of having your heart broken, or maybe falling in love, of waiting, of longing, of being torn apart, and of mending. I think a lot of communication technologies and their effects on the modern romantic relationship. I’m also interested in object association: attaching a person and memories to domestic items.
Right now I’m working towards a solo exhibition in Chattanooga at Versa Gallery called I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow, which will feature a few site specific works involving some window blinds and some poems.
2. What project did you make during your residency here at the park?
During the Hot Metal Residency at the park, I created Commit You to Memory, a pillow that I embroidered “OVER AND OVER” over and over again, and cast into iron.
3. Why did you want to become an artist or what made you want to become an artist?
I think I was 4 years old when I declared I wanted to be an artist. At that age I doodled a lot on walls with sharpie; made a lot of crayon masterpieces. I was really great at general education courses in high school, but there wasn’t anything more fun than my AP 3D ceramics class. I thought I would be a high school art teacher when I grew up, but I took a 3D design class (by mistake; I already had the credit for it), and I made this three-dimensional line drawing out of rebar tie wire and I was hooked. I had this epiphany, “You can make things out of other things???” And here I am.
4. What keeps you motivated in the studio?
I’ve always had a sort of innate drive to make things, to fix things. I love telling stories about anything—mundane or grand. Being motivated in the studio is hard. It is. I work M-F 9-5 at an ironwork shop as a fabricator and almost blacksmith, and I could never ask for a better or more fun way to make a living. On top of that, I’m also an adjunct instructor, so my goodness it’s hard to do anything after laboring all day.
What keeps me motivated is the thought, “How fortunate am I?” How amazing is it that I (and other artists) get to make things that make me feel, then show it to others and hopefully make them feel something too.
5. What other artists who identify as women influence your artistic practice?
Sophie Calle and Tracey Emin are my all time artist crushes.
6. Any advice for aspiring artists who identify as women out there?
I’m trying to stray away from using the phrase “stand your ground,” but for all of the aspiring artists identifying as women out there: you know yourself better than anyone. You know your work and your intentions better than anyone. Make the work that you want to make unabashedly.
