Lizzy's New Studio Equipment

My current body of work is a series of abstract screenprints that I call "Bunches". While I will continue to create more Bunches as screenprints this year, additionally I would like to create them as sculptures. I grew up creating knitted I-cord, which my mother taught me how to make. The cord looks and hangs much like the strands in my prints, making it the perfect material for the sculptures. To create these 3-D bunches I need equipment and materials I am currently unable to afford on my own.



The majority of the money raised will go towards purchasing a circular knitting machine. To create the cord as fast as possible and also as consistently as possible (so that each strand looks the same), I need an Erlbacher Gearhart circular sock knitting machine. This machine will give me the speed necessary to create these sculptures while also creating my prints. It will also allow me to change the size of the cord depending on the scale of the sculpture I want to make.


I feel very passionately about making these sculptures. I've never enjoyed writing much but when I sat down to write my artist statement about this series it was the longest statement I've ever written in my artistic career. I've taken that as evidence that I really need to make these sculptures, and soon.



I've also never asked for help like this before but I strongly feel this work is the necessary next step to take in building my body of work. It is a new and slightly scary adventure. But I can assure you, if you donate I will be extremely grateful!!!  I am so lucky to be surrounded by supportive friends, family and co-workers. I know many of you are artists yourselves and a lot of times all we have to give is our kind and encouraging words. If you happen to feel strongly about my vision like I do and you choose to help me financially, I will be forever thankful.

To see more examples of the "Bunch" series, you can visit my website.

Artist Statement:
In the “Bunch” series I explore how form, texture and color shape the viewer's experience of the work. My process to create these pieces begins with imagining a shape or form that the bunch seems to hang or drape over. I form the the individual “strands” that collectively bring the form to life from the top down to amplify this effect. By not giving the form a name and not dictating what the “strands” are, the viewer has the opportunity to make their own inferences about the nature of the image. I am interested in providing some amount of struggle for the viewer to puzzle out the image, the tension between the carefully delineated strands and how as a group they make up a more nebulous whole.  My goal is to construct a space with room for exploration and discovery. In this space the viewer is able to project their own experiences and memories on to the piece, which influences the way they understand the subject matter. My careful use of color also informs the viewer's experience of the pieces. From a purely aesthetic point, the color first creates a visually satisfying piece, and then adds another layer to the open ended narrative of the image.  I strive to choose colors that are both exciting visually and metaphorically.

 

The interplay between the two mediums, sculpture and print, creates space for further discovery from the viewer. I am interested in how the prints and sculptures relate to each other when hanging side by side. Ideally, presenting the two mediums together creates and expands the dialogue between the nature of the images. Not only does the viewer have form and color to explore in both mediums, but also the interaction between two and three dimensions. Texture plays an important role in the prints and sculpture that is only widened in their context to each other and within the series. By using sculpture, I push to find a more complex and whole understanding in the work. The print acts as a blueprint for how to interpret the sculpture, or how to explore with three dimensions the way the individual strands interact within the sculpture. In this way, sculpture performs as a print come to life. In another light the sculpture can serve as an extension of the print itself. With this rich dialogue I aim to create an environment with the “Bunches” in which the viewers can question the pieces and explore the narratives they create based on the work.