Spider's Lace

Author/Artist Name

Rachel SchmidtFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Spring 4-14-2017

Artist Statement

My current work is about identical lessons learned by separate people from different personal experiences. Interviews with friends and family are conducted to identify a lesson both me and the subject of the interview have learned and combine the separate experiences into one story. Because the story exists in a place beyond any one human character, they are transformed into animal fables, which are then illustrated with print based installations.

The stories are built around what the interviewee would most like to teach to someone younger. The fables exist in a world where these lessons become established as rules in nature. I’m looking at artists like Joanna Mueller, who uses animal and ancient North American myth symbolism to achieve a narrative-like effect, and Anne Hamilton who uses installation and print multiples to create immersive experiences. The media and style of each print installation is entirely dependent on the fable. The prints range from black and white linoleum cuts, to soft and colorful lithographs, and the installations range from to little wooden boxes filled with dozens of small monoprints, to wearable books on live models.

Design elements are incorporated to give the show cohesiveness by unifying the different stylistic aspects of the separate works with a common visual narrative. A series of posters accompany the works of the show, identifying the title of each story and installation and matching it with a unique icon displayed near each piece in vinyl. In addition to the posters there are small hand-bound books identified by each fable’s icon; each book contains a written fable laid out with experimental type and minimal graphics. The show gives the viewer a sense of discovery as they move through the fables via illustrative prints, books, and installations.

Advisor/Mentor

Nicole Hand; Jim Bryant; Sarah Martin: T. Michael Martin

Description

Exhibition Summary:

My show is concerned with themes of universally understood truths told in the form of animal fables. These fables are made from interviews I have with friends, as combinations of both our experiences. My show is a series of eight of these fables, illustrated with print based installations combining varied print elements, found objects and nature forms. Each installation has an accompanying symbol, which connects to the typographic component of the show. Each fable has a monochromatic title poster which contains its unique color and symbol- they are all composed of hand lettering and minimal illustration, which sets the tone for each story.

The posters are hung above a series of small handmade books- each identified by their respective story’s colored icon. The books contain the written fables, laid out with experimental typography. The strange layouts and text features are reminiscent of the inflection that is present in the narrative when it’s spoken aloud.

The viewer is meant to move through the show with a sense of discovery. You see an installation, otherworldly and fantastic, and then you see the symbol. You trace the symbol back to its title, then to its story. It’s a very simple form of solving a puzzle or following a map; meant to invoke the same feeling of comfortable understanding that I get when I conduct the interviews; comfort that comes from learning something universal and at the same time personal.

Installation Notes:

The show is composed of eight installations, all with varying installation methods, eight posters to be wall hung, and eight books that will rest on a shelf. Two pieces involve ceiling suspension, one involves L-hooks, one is free standing floor piece; most involve wall installation that will be done with nails, screws, and small tacks. Two installations involve spreading things on the floor (sunflower seeds and sand) and will require a shop-vac to remove. The posters will be hung with magnets. The books will need to be on one long shelf beneath the posters or four smaller shelves depending on availability. I am going to need two pedestals: a small one for a component of one of the pieces, and a medium sized one for my signature book.

Photo Credit

Photo Credit, Taylor Mccord, 2017

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Schmidt, Rachel, "Spider's Lace" (2017). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 10.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/10