Catherine Armistead
Are you self-taught or formally educated in visual art? I am formally educated in visual art; I was a dual degree student in college at Tufts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and I’ve take some workshops at Penland School of Crafts. The SMFA & Penland really expanded my understanding of fine art to include printmaking, metalsmithing, and installation work, which are the mediums that I am currently most passionate about.
How did you first become involved with CAA? I saw online that they had a reduced rate for recent graduates, which is helpful for people like me that aren’t established and don’t have a strong artistic network yet. I wanted a local community that I could participate in shows with as well as a group to reach out to for advice and support.
What role do you think the artist plays in society? When I saw Mark Dion speak at the ICA last year, he said that the artist’s role is to ask questions. I agree with that, but I think that the best artists accomplish something between asking questions, engaging a community of arts enthusiasts, and drawing in people with no background in art.
What medium do you currently work in and how did you choose this medium? I work across a variety of media, including metalsmithing, drawing, watercolor, printmaking, papermaking, and mixed media installation. I am very interested in mediums that are process-intensive, because the material and what happens along the way inform the work in unexpected ways. I’m also attracted to craft-based mediums because they have a rich history across different cultures. I tend work in tandem in different mediums and on projects of varying scales, because when I get stumped with a piece it helps me to step away from it and do something very different.
What is your creative process? Where are you finding ideas for your art these days? I oscillate between different types of research (material, visual, literary, philosophical) and exploratory making, and I keep a running list of project ideas that have occurred to me over the years. Sometimes ideas (for example, the World After Us installation piece) are the result of months of scholarly research, but sometimes ideas come from sketching, spending time outside, a conversation, or something I saw in a museum. For me, the important thing is to write all of them down and sketch them out when they occur to me, and refine later.
How do you choose your subject matter? Is there a reoccurring theme that carries throughout your work? I make work that questions the constructed barrier between humans and the environment, and alludes to the increasing intertwinement of the man made and natural. I am fascinated with ideas and theories surrounding the anthropocene, and a lot of my work has to do with my own theories about what will remain when humans have disappeared. I choose specific subject matter through research and exploration, but much of my work relates back to patterns of natural growth that I see in the world around me.
In your opinion, what’s your best/favorite piece you’ve made? I think that I have the classic artist syndrome of not really thinking anything I make is good enough after I finish it, which is really great for driving future work, but not so great for answering this question. I think the piece that most successfully gets across my concept without sacrificing visual interest and complexity is The World After Us installation, but I still have better versions of it in my head that I want to explore.
What is one of your artistic goals for 2018? I’d like to try to complete at least one mixed media artist book by the end of the year. I made one in the past (Wunderboxen) and I’ve been itching to make another.
What’s your favorite place to see art? What a great question! I will always have a deep love for institutions like the Met in New York and the MFA in Boston – I just love the things you can discover in cavernous museums. But I also can spend hours poring over the extensive and unusual artist book collection at the SMFA library, and I really appreciate the discovery of unpacking, opening and handling an artifact put together so carefully at your own pace.
What living artists are you inspired by? Julie Mehretu, Julie Chen, El Anatsui, Nene Humphrey, Mariko Kusumoto, Tara Donovan, Maria Phillips, Aurélie Guillame, Attai Chen, Peter Gentenaar, Iris Van Herpen, Joan Hall, Swoon, May Babcock, Arthur Hash, Daniella Saraya, Andy Pepper, Hannah Quinlivan, Yoshiko Yamamoto, Sougwen, and the list goes on!
Do you own any art by other artists? Yes! I have a growing jewelry and print collection, including some work by my friends from art school and Penland.
Do you have any shows coming up? Not at the moment, but I’m applying to lots and my fingers are crossed!
See More from Catherine
Website: www.catherinearmistead.com
Facebook: Instagram: @carmistead.art