Artist Statement Research HW:  Casandra

I found myself connecting more with the statement made by Carolyn Halliday:

"I use the vocabulary of textiles to create sculptural forms that often reference body or nature.

The quiet repetition of a stitch is central to my existence.

Hand knitting wire and other nontraditional materials, usually re-cycled, is my primary technique although I incorporate other needlework and fiber skills into my work.

I am always intrigued by the process of converting a discovered material into a form that I call a textile.

Simple elements of my daily existence: a found stick, a scrap of metal, or coffee beans may become the seeds of a piece. I intend to magnify nature, reference concepts of the feminine through body and domesticity, and examine life’s daily debris."

 I think that her artist statement is not only about the medium she works in, but also about her as an artist. Her statement is effective not simply because it is short and to the point, but because it explains her works in their entirety. There are two statements that she makes that I feel completely describe her process: her conversion of found materials in to a "textile," and her desire to "magnify nature." Ultimately, I feel that he artist statement cannot work alone unless the viewer has already seen her work. This is because her statement amplifies her goal of her work. It goes beyond her role as an artist, and forces her viewers to ask themselves what is a textile and how does it function.