interview:
Kate Dodd
Get in touch:
What are you working on right now?
I've been working on projects that are viewable during the pandemic, i.e. in spaces where people walk outdoors. "Efflorescence" is a site-specific installation in a pedestrian alley way in Summit, NJ commissioned by Summit Public Art, made up of thousands of repurposed plastic water bottles encased in colorful plastic netting. It's on view for a year, and I've gotten comments like "otherworldly garden" and gorgeous tentacles" because of the plantlike form and intense color.
I also have been putting artwork in store windows through a program called Fresh Air Montclair, intended to bring art to downtown spaces that are closed during the pandemic. "Midden", a site-specific installation for Pure Energy hair salon, is based on the cycle of desire and consumption, made from a mid-century children's encyclopedia that has been cut into intricate forms filling three large windows. Other windows feature work from my "Privacy Series", collages that evolved out of envelopes with patterned interiors. The window portion of the envelope functions in these pieces as a portal and a separation, between inside and outside, known and unknown, personal and institutional. This divide resonates with other images of division in our contemporary moment, from barriers and fencing, to isolation and quarantine.
What would you like to say about Manufacturers Village Artist Community?
Being a part of this community has been a game changer for me. From the industrially romantic setting, to the incredibly warm and talented people who work here, I can't imagine wanting to be anywhere else. Manufacturers
Village is not only valuable to the people in it; we have plans to deepen our connection to the neighborhood by developing collaborative projects and bringing in new resources.
What's next for you?
I'm continuing to investigate the possible uses of my current favorite repurposed materials: books, bottles, envelopes, cds. I'm working on a site-specific commission for a children's library in California that will feature 12 of the top favorite children's books of all time, cut apart and reconfigured to simulate an aerial trail rising towards the skylight above. I'm waiting to get the go-ahead on a project for the Jersey City waterfront, which would be a stunning site to work with. And I'm learning how to teach studio art virtually!