Max Rabitat
12’ x 6’ x 9’
Mortar, steel, found objects
2018
2018 Open Studio Fellow
Artist Statement
I am interested in objects of affection and acts of care, making visible the unseen stories, histories, and labor underlying these objects and actions. I engage and explore materials including discarded quilt and clothing remnants, lint from the laundry of family and friends, and salvaged items that have been found secondhand. There is a meaningful connection between the materials I use and the stories they suggest about the role of care, memory, and the hand-made. Through deconstructing and reconfiguring these materials I create new forms to elevate and empathize with stories that are overlooked or otherwise forgotten. I think about how we pass along information to each other and through time. It is a question not only of what stories are told, but how.
Mary Johnson
Born: Rochester, MN, USA, 1964
Resides: Shoreview, MN, USA
Education
MFA, University of Minnesota, 2007
BFA, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, 2003