Kim Triedman
What are your earliest memories of being artistic? I was a writer (published poet and novelist) before I became involved in visual art. My earliest memories of being artistic are of writing poetry. My art, like my writing, has a strong narrative bent.
When did art become a pursuit? In my 50s.
Are you self-taught or formally educated in visual art? Self-taught .
Risen, Mixed media
In what other ways are you involved in the local art community? I’ve been an active member of several art associations in the metro Boston area. My work has been shown widely in the northeast and is currently in numerous private collections, here and abroad.
What role do you think the artist plays in society? I guess the artist provides a kind of prism to the world — a unique way of looking at what is already there, whether it be an internal truth or an external reality.
What medium do you currently work in and how did you choose this medium? Mixed Media/Collage/Assemblage. The medium chose me.
What is your creative process? Where are you finding ideas for your art these days? Most of my collages make use of old wooden window sashes, which serve as frame and substrate but also inspiration. For me, they offer a particularly rich and exploitable template, affording a unique and conflicted relationship with the worlds in which we live. From the vantage point of our constructed lives, they offer both exit and entry — a peek into the wider world but also a remove from it, an experience of opening that is simultaneously muted and framed and held at bay. These outlooks make us dream, wonder, calculate — make of us voyeurs, unwitting or not, of both the world around us and, ultimately, of ourselves.
So, You Were Saying…?, Mixed Media
How do you choose your subject matter? Is there a reoccurring theme that carries throughout your work? My work has a strong narrative element. It has also been referred to as “feminist,” although that is not by design or deliberation. I generally don’t have a clue what each piece will be or why or what it means until I finish it. It’s an exceedingly organic experience. I use a combination of my own photography, vintage photographs, fine handmade papers, and random found objects in my work. My imagination is captured by the odd and often visually arresting detail. Compositions are drawn from places or things I have known, sometimes through memory but most often through subconscious connections. My palette is muted, though – like life – shot through with small urgencies of color.
In your opinion what’s your best/favorite piece that you’ve made? Right now my favorite piece is “Risen,” which is included here.
What is one of your artistic goals? Just to keep having fun and making a mess. The thrill for me is figuring out each piece like a puzzle.
What’s your favorite place to view art? MASS MOCA.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Mixed Media
What living artists are you inspired by? Marlene Dumas, Gerhard Richter, Lucien Freud are a few favorites.
Do you own any art by other artists? Yes, many pieces. I’m an especially grateful owner of one of Lorraine Sullivan’s assemblage works.
Do you have any shows coming up? Yes! I’m curating and co-exhibiting in “Waste Not,” a four-person show at ArtSpace Maynard with Lorraine Sullivan, Anne Plaisance, and Stephen Martin. Dates: Oct 17-Nov 22. OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday Oct 20, 5-7 pmIt’s going to be an extraordinary show.
See More Kim!
Website: kimtriedman.com
Instagram: kimtriedman
Facebook: Kim Triedman Artist