NEW FLORAL
© 2015 Lillstreet Art Center 4401 N Ravenswood Ave Chicago, IL 60640 Artwork © the artists. Curatorial Statement © Camille Canales, Nora Renick-Rinehart, Keeley Marie Stitt. Photographs © Guy Nicol. Design by Andy Rohr. Exhibition: January 16 - March 1, 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic or mechanical means, without permission in writing from Lillstreet Art Center.
NEW FLORAL Curated By: Camille Canales Nora Renick - Rinehart Keeley Marie Stitt
N E W F LO RA L CURATORIAL STATEMENT
N
ew Floral is as much a presentation of artwork as it is a materialization of conversations, critiques and community. In New Floral, eight artists from the Lillstreet Textiles Department reapproach fiber
practices as a means to explore the complicated concept of the traditional floral motif. The pieces in this show demonstrate not only the array of talents and techniques within the textile studios at Lillstreet, but also the positive impact a community of artists can create. In 2012, members of the textiles department came together in search of a venue to discuss current studio projects. We called our monthly meetings the CritPotluck Series, where artists presented their work to an audience following a potluck-style meal. This relaxed setting provided a comfortable space for constructive criticism, technical advice and encouragement to continue making. Our conversations were organic and ranged from the conceptual to the formal, the theoretical to the hilarious. Over the next two years, with the participation of students, faculty and resident artists, the series grew into a forum for creative incubation. Recurring concepts began to appear as well as the interest in making work for a group show. In the fall of 2013, resident artist Keeley Marie Stitt joined the conversation and recognized some common themes among the work: nature, patterns and the domestic space. Nearly every member of the group was making work that alluded to the floral motif in some way—either directly, through the use of floral imagery, or indirectly, through the manipulation of landscape. Coining the phrase “new floral,” the curatorial team worked to synthesize the interests of the group by generating a prompt that would eventually serve as the catalyst for the show:
Flowers have held symbolic meaning throughout the ages. The floral patterns of today signify a conflict between the fantasy of floral imagery and the reality of nature. Immortal blooms splashed across today’s consumer products display an idealized unreal — flowers that will never fade, nature that will not decay. Flat, fragrance-less, eternally blooming and ever popular, floral patterns decorate Western domestic life in cheerful contrast to our disconnection with nature in contemporary urban society. Since the floral is so ubiquitous that it has become untethered from its nature, what does the contemporary floral actually communicate? What other images might function in the place of the flower and how can we reapproach the floral in a meaningful way?
Floral imagery is everywhere—it covers our clothing, our housewares, even our architecture. Yet the blooms on these commercial objects exist in stark contrast to their organic counterparts; while natural flowers inevitably wither and die, floral imagery can sustain indefinitely. Florals are so pervasive that they have come to represent far more than simple flowers or plants; they have become almost synonymous with all things decorative and feminine. Yet neither florals nor textiles are static, though they frequently fall into the realm of tradition, both have evolved over time in complicated and innovative ways. The works presented in New Floral display a range of approaches to this time-honored motif by exploring new takes on traditional fibers techniques. In many ways, New Floral is the first show of its kind at Lillstreet. By creating the opportunity for artists to make new work in a collaborative and supportive setting, we have collectively taken risks while advancing our individual practices. We are sincerely grateful to all of the individuals, not just the exhibiting artists, who attended, participated in, and helped shape the CritPotluck Series. This show would not be possible without the generous support from Lillstreet Art Center. We would like to thank Jess Mott Wickstrom for her confidence in our vision, Bruce Robbins and Eric Tschetter for their encouragement, and Judy Zeddies, Tracey Morrison and Joe Tighe for acting as members of the jury. We are so proud of both the community we have built at Lillstreet and the final presentation of the New Floral exhibition.
— Nora Renick - Rinehart, Keeley Marie Stitt, and Camille Canales
CiaraAnne Brody was born in Limerick, Ireland. She was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Art & Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Design for Textiles from The Centre for Creative Arts & Media in Galway, Ireland in 2011 and 2012. In January 2014, she was awarded a Master of Arts in Art History and Architecture from University of Limerick, Ireland. She works mostly with digital printing, screenprinting with dyes, and free stitch machine embroidery. Statement: During An Gorta Mor (The Great Famine) of the 1840s when the potato crop failed and Ireland fell into severe poverty, almost 1.5 million people emigrated to the United States and almost all never returned. Emigration numbers are at a high once again, although now it is because of economic struggles. We are still leaving for the same reasons— the chance of a better future and the fear that we may never be able to return to Ireland. The piece depicts the flower which grows from the potato. Its flowers are slowly starting to open and bloom and, much like the country of Ireland, it hopes to one day blossom again.
CiaraAnne Brody Is féidir linn a bhláth arís? (Can we bloom again?), 2014 Cotton and dyes 29 x 43 inches
Camille Canales was born and raised in Kingsville, Texas. She received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007 with an emphasis in painting & drawing and fiber & material studies. She has been involved with Lillstreet Art Center since 2008, wearing multiple hats within the community: artist, educator, and arts administrator. Camille makes work that investigates time, material, and the everyday. She lives and works in Chicago. Statement: The ant is a metaphor for family. With a sculptural embroidery of an insect, I confront the fantasy of nature while considering the role of an individual within a community. I made this work to reflect on my own family, considering the network of delicate relationships and the influence each person has on the entire group. By illustrating a portrait of one ant, I wanted to create and embellish characteristics unique to the individual, while also maintaining the familiar form of an insect that lives within a colony.
Camille Canales Grass Ant (Isolated), 2014 Turkey work embroidery, appliquĂŠ, and screenprinted cotton 42 x 48 inches
Akemi Nakano Cohn studied traditional Japanese
Statement: Memory of Marigold #1 creates a memory-
dyeing and printing techniques for ten years under
induced magical world where traces of flowers as
the master Haru Izumi in Yokohama, Japan. She
a negative space (cut-out dots) and the printed
received an MFA in Fiber Arts from Cranbrook
marigold images (positive) metaphorically co-exist.
Academy of Art in Bloomfield, Michigan and a BFA from Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan. Cohn has
Flowers are ephemeral and they live only a short
taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago,
time. Dyes are extracted from live flowers, plants,
the International Surface Design Conference,
and roots, such as Marigold, Apple tree, Osage and
Haystack, and more. She was a visiting artist at the
Madder. Silk fabric is then dyed with the extract. The
Museum of the Art Institute of Chicago, University of
extracted color will stay on the fabric. Even though
Nebraska, Zijdelings (Netherlands), and Pittsburgh
the flowers are gone, the color will stay on the fabric
Center for the Arts, as well as an artist-in-residence
as a dual existence.
at Anderson Ranch and Ragdale Foundation. She has shown work in many exhibitions, including
I use a traditional Japanese rice paste resist
solo exhibitions at Gallery Uesuto in Tokyo, Japan,
technique (Katazome) to print. In the process, I cut
Art Life Mitsuhashi in Kyoto, Japan, and University
stencil paper for the image. I became aware of the
of Nebraska-Lincoln, and group exhibitions at the
empty shape left behind after cutting out forms in
Bellevue Arts Museum, Museum of Arts & Design,
stencil paper. I also cut many dots for the Memory
and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
of Marigold #1. These indicate seeds. Seeds give life, creating a cycle of life for plants. The entire use of dots indicates a cycle of life to create a memory. All of the preceding processes contribute to understanding based on my inner observations.
Akemi Nakano Cohn Memory of Marigold #1, 2014 Silk, Japanese rice paper, natural dyes 34 x 48 x 20 inches
Amanda Lee Franck grew up in Chicago. She makes
Statement: A florilegia is an anthology of brief
work that moves within the fields of installation and
excerpts on a theme (literally, “a gathering of
performance, fabrication and documentation. Her
flowers”). This one contains the work of ten authors,
process is informed by the tension between these
who will each receive an edition of the print in
practices. She makes paintings that are unreliable
exchange. Editions 11-20 will be sold to cover
documents of landscapes, garments that guide the
production costs.
movements of the wearer, and photographs that record episodes of found painting. Her work with
The authors were prompted to find the nearest
dancers spans from costume design, to set design
living flower or reproduction of a flower and write a
and installations. She has recently worked with
description of what they found. The print design is
Dropshift Dance and The Space Movement Project,
inspired by 18th-century floral patterns, in particular
and is currently collaborating with Zephyr Dance. She
the work of Anna Maria Garthwaite, who created
teaches garment construction at The School of the
naturalistic illustrations of plants and flowers to be
Art Institute of Chicago.
woven in silk using the most modern techniques of the time. Although bound into a book, this florilegia is intended to be opened, the stitches removed, and worn or displayed as the owner sees fit.
Amanda Franck Florilegium, 2014 Screen print on fabric, florist’s cellophane, paper, wood 29 x 27 x 14 inches
Amy Taylor is a native of Los Angeles and an ardent Chicagoan. Amy earned her BA in Visual and Critical Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2010. After briefly attending (and promptly leaving) business school, she was determined to become a full-time artist. Amy has been pursuing this goal ever since, working in galleries, teaching, and taking on an eclectic array of freelance projects. Amy’s work incorporates a variety of media including screenprinting on fabric and paper, dyeing fabric, embroidery, and painting. Statement: My work explores the concepts of femininity, social mores, and transience in contemporary urban environments, placing an emphasis on technical and material detail. I aim to examine the sincere and fictional roles that humans, particularly women, play within their collective communities.
Amy Taylor featuring Tararchy & Mosher The One That Got Away, 2014 Naturally dyed silk, paper, wood 96 x 48 x .75 inches
Shannon Thompson received an MS in Historic Preservation from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2005. She has lived in Maine, Mississippi, and Texas, and currently lives in Chicago. Shannon creates works on fiber and paper using dyes, inks, and resists to create layered designs based on paper stencils and photography of the built environment. Statement: Many commercial floral repeat patterns are created on flat items for mass production. My 3-dimensional piece is inspired by the symbiotic relationships among organisms to “build� a structure on a rock, with a more natural use of the architectural and mechanical elements that I often include in my work. I created the piece by first making a model of a rock. I then printed layered patterns, inspired by the shapes of lichens. The final form was sewn using both a detailed pattern chart and improvisational sewing techniques.
Shannon Thompson Rock with Lichen, 2014 Linen, cotton, bamboo 40 x 30 x 28 inches
Team Tragicomedy’s collaborations began after
Statement: When 4401 N Ravenswood was
a fateful Screenprinting with Thickened Dye class
constructed in 1922, it housed a typewriter
at Lillstreet Art Center brought artists Nora Renick
refurbishing company. In the intervening 92 years,
-Rinehart and Liz Anna Kozik together for the first
under the ownership of a series of companies, it has
time. Their projects have ranged in scope from
witnessed the manufacturing of diesel equipment
sellable kitchenware (tea towels, napkins, etc.) to
and parts for airplanes, radios, science supplies,
fabric wallpaper fine art installations.
gears for helicopters, and “Do-Wraps” headwear. However, the building is not alone on this site; we
Liz Anna Kozik graduated from the Rhode Island
can build and build but, just as we cannot remove
School of Design in 2012 and has since been
our history, there is no removing plant life from our
exploring textiles at Lillstreet Art Center and beyond.
spaces. The plants that surround our building have
After working in Lillstreet’s textiles program for three
adapted much like the tenants, finding new and
years, she is now pursuing an MFA in textiles at the
creative ways to survive in the face of progress.
University of Wisconsin-Madison. She explores how the plants we portray in floral motifs relate to our
In this piece, Team Tragicomedy combines
tangible relationship with the natural world.
illustrations of weeds found on Lillstreet’s property with imagery from the building’s history to create
The BFA in Fibers Nora Renick - Rinehart received
a compressed moment in time. The flora and the
from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2007
objects may have been forgotten and overlooked, but
has served her well. Since graduation she has held
they are never completely gone and they continue to
a number of textiles related jobs including sewing
help define our beloved space.
custom handbags and costumes for musical theater. She can currently be found teaching myriad classes at Lillstreet Art Center. Her current body of work investigates how we experience the colors of the sky, focusing highly on infographics and different ways of expressing data sets.
Team Tragicomedy Made at Lillstreet, 2014 Fabric wallpaper, objects, plants 16 x 8 x 3 feet
NEW FLORAL
2015