A few days ago I caught up with my from Amanda Thackray, who I've known for about two years since we studied together at RISD. Her recent work deals with the body's internal and external structures. Each piece is always extremely detail oriented and meticulously crafted. Muscle Lattice is an installation involving handmade rope made from kozo paper.
I stopped by when Amanda was installing her latest for the Dumbo Arts Festival and asked her to share some info about her upcoming shows. Make sure to check out her finished piece in Dumbo and attend the opening this weekend! Also (I thought this was really cool) the metal piece she's holding is an old buoy she found washed ashore on the beach in Norway.
Can you tell me about your latest project at Dumbo Arts Festival? What was your inspiration?
My work always draws from the body and its interactions in the world. Recently I have been making work that is about disembodying the body – there is subtle yet fantastical element. I am captivated by the idea that we are constantly changing and evolving and our bodies are always in flux. I am always working to redefine the body in ways that will bring clarity in unconventional ways. Recently I have been visualizing the internal body using external materials as a kind of placeholder. I use textile materials – thread, yarn, and rope – to represent the sinews and fibrous materials within me. I have started to associate shapes, patterns, and materials with specific elements of the body – developing a material language to convey my personal narratives. In Muscle Lattice, on display at the DUMBO Arts Festival, I am employing these tactics to translate my interest in the material of the human body to studying the body of a sailing vessel (specifically the one that I traveled on for my residency in the Arctic Circle). Focusing on the rigging, and using a technique of spinning paper into rope adapted from traditional Korean paper weaving practices, I have created an installation that focuses on the aspect of extension. The handmade ropes are twined from my fingers and create a woven latticework in the entryway to the building.
You were recently in Norway for your residency... what was that experience like (culture, scenery, living on a ship)? What was your favorite part of the trip? How did it affect your current practice/what did you learn?
My project at the DUMBO Arts Festival is largely inspired by a residency to the Arctic Circle. In June I was lucky enough to be involved with the Arctic Circle Residency. We traveled to Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago that is mostly uninhabited. We visited many wilderness sites, went on hikes every day, and visited three towns: Longyearbyen – a modern, functioning mining and prospecting town, Ny Alesund – a small town inhabited by mostly scientists and home of the Northernmost post office, and Pyramiden – an abandoned Russian mining town. I was so overwhelmed, but we were in solidarity. The entire trip was incredibly inspirational and I have made some amazing friends because of it. I was able to work on projects and ideas that I never would have dreamt of until I was actually in the Arctic.
You have a show coming up for your Center for Book Arts residency... can you tell me a little bit about your experience there and your final project?
It was amazing to be in-residence at the CBA. I had open access to the studio, equipment, and class resources. I was able to take a lot of really influential classes, including a workshop with Aimee Lee which has largely influenced my current work – specifically the installation at the DUMBO Studio Tour. Now that our residency has ended, we will be showing an accumulation of work created at and inspired by the CBA. The show runs from October 4 to December 14, with an opening on Friday, October 4th, from 6-8pm and an artist’s talk on November 1st.
