Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I am a nonbinary Jewish fiber artist, born and raised in East Lakeview, Chicago. My family is three generations from this neighborhood. I am mixed media painter focusing in fiber arts and weaving. My work explores the complexities of queerness, sexuality, gender and its aesthetics through drag, fetish, and self portraiture. I recently graduated with an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, before that I was living in LA working as the artist assistant to Melissa Cody who taught me to weave, before that I was a club kid, and before that I was touring the country in a punk band. I have a senior pink mini poodle who is my angel.

Could you describe your practice as well as a bit of your process?
My process is always shifting depending on what I am working on. My work is based in my artist sketchbooks where I collage and draw. A lot of the clippings that make up these collages find their way into my weavings. I work with long term collaborators Jane Serenska and Stephanie Jensen on elaborate photoshoots which I then incorporate into weavings. I recently did a series with Riley Valentine as well. I translate these photos into weavings, then embellish, and collage them with other textiles. Recently I have mostly been working with text and found imagery and translating that into weavings and embroideries as well.

How did your interest in art begin and how did you get to where you are focused in now?
I have always been a devoted artist, and was blessed with parents that supported that from a young age. When I was a kid I would research contemporary artists, which I am grateful for now. After being committed to my art practice for many years but feeling a bit stuck, I applied to graduate school which moved my work completely into fibers. Before graduate school, I had a job offer seemingly out of nowhere that introduced me to weaving. I had always wanted to know how to weave and it strangely fell into my lap, which felt like a spiritual push into that direction.

The queer body, sex, and ideas surrounding ‘femininity’ are common themes amongst your work. Can you speak on this? What are you drawn to within this imagery? How do you utilize it to bring forth ideas you’re working with?
As a nonbinary artist who plays in performance and uses my own body in my work, I utilize tools of drag and femininity to manipulate the viewer and objectify myself. Almost an exploitation of myself and the body I was given, but it’s not in celebration (maybe for life or having a body) but more of a juxtaposition with the actual vulnerabilities of my work often around shame, desire and addiction. I have been working in self portraiture for over 15 years, one of my main missions in my practice is sharing my truth and secrets, I think that in juxtaposition with where these struggles and joys resides is an important tension.

Describe your current studio or workspace. (Please provide a photo of it if you have one)
Oh god, well I am actually living out of my parents’ guest bedroom. I would provide a picture but wow is it a liminal space, weirdly two queen beds make up the room kind of like a hotel room. It is the room where my mom put all the art she doesn’t like. I can’t hang things on the walls or paint anywhere so I am painting weavings in the bathtub on a drop cloth. The bed I do not use is stacked high with weavings I want in my next show. Very haphazard, fibers and threads everywhere. I try not to, but I am always am dropping needles and pins on the ground, which my dog and I strangely yet gracefully never step on. I have a desk and a tiny standing loom gifted to me by Melissa Cody made by her father. My parents’ entire apartment has my remnants with rhinestones and beads in every corner, even the shared hallway leading to their apartment has rhinestones in the crevices.

What is one of the bigger challenges you and/or other makers are struggling with these days and how do you see it developing?
The biggest challenge I am facing post grad is that I work on really scarce and expensive equipment. The looms I work on are 50-100k and often gatekept by institutions. The embroidery machines I use are about 15k. After graduating school, I lost access to my resources. I am grateful that LMRM in Chicago has one of the only public access looms in the country. But access and funding continues to be a huge issue fiber artists using these tools struggle with. That being said, I do know people hustling and scheming to get their hands on this equipment to make it more accessible. Hopefully we will see more of this. I do not know of any embroidery machines that are rentable to the public. Personally, I want to own my equipment and am trying to find a job and apply to grants where I can save to make that happen. For awhile I wanted equipment solely for myself and friends, but am considering having a business (need a business partner for that though, lord knows I am an “ideas” person).

What are the main motifs in your work?
My works motifs often shift depending on what I am wrestling with in my personal life. Sometimes I manifest my future through my work but mostly just share my secrets. A lot of my work is about desire, desirability, shame, fear and addiction. Some of my newer works are about social unrest, anxiety, pleasure, and prayer.

What are some recent, upcoming or current projects you are working on?
I just got back from a two week artist residency at Praxis Fiber Workshop where I wove 14 yards of new work. I have an unannounced group show in a few weeks, and my first unannounced gallery solo show mid September in time with Gertie’s exhibition week.

Extreme embellishment of studs, sequins, and beads are consistent within your work. Can you describe this part of your practice and its significance for you?. What does it mean for you to layer on these materials to your weavings? How do they emphasize and draw viewers eyes?
When I transitioned to working primarily in fibers, I challenged myself to think of embellishment techniques that have specific representation and meaning. I am an ex-club kid that ran around the queer drag and techno scenes in Chicago for the past decade, drag queens taught me how to do makeup and make elaborate costumes. That was a huge influence of including rhinestones in my work, rhinestones are a language of drag and manipulate the viewer’s eye. In and after college, I was also in a touring punk band and I incorporate a lot of imagery from being a punk into my work such as studs, piercing, grommets and most importantly patches. I love having threads hanging off my pieces, adding texture but also leaning into this kind of unkempt imperfection.

Text is an integral part of a lot of your weavings and paintings. What is your process of sourcing the text you work with?
I have been working in artist sketchbooks for about 15 years. I collect vintage magazines where I source my clippings and collage materials for my books. I really appreciate old fonts and headers from vintage ephemera which I frequently include in my work. Lately, I have been embracing the digital nature of my work and have started incorporating found text from my digital photo library. I have been taking pictures of strange signs and texts throughout the country for years, but wouldn’t put them in my artist sketchbooks as they were digital and the books are so analog. Now working with digital technology, I have found a way to utilize them.

What do you want a viewer to walk away with after seeing your work?
My artistic mission is to share my own vulnerabilities in hopes of reaching a viewer and making them feel less alone or inspired to share their truth. I was a troubled kid, struggling with addiction, sexual trauma, and mental health, what saved me was the artists I saw talking about sex, rape, their bodies, trauma and while also talking about the beauty in life. The artist who really reached me was Tracey Emin, who’s work shows the depth and duality of life.

What do you collect?
Oh geez, I collect too many things. I collect old magazines, specifically Disney Adventure, circus magazines, and any rubber or latex fetish magazines. But honestly, I am a sucker for any vintage magazine. Lately I am really interested in finding things to embellish my weavings like vintage charms, jewelry and strange beads. I like tiny things. I collect holographs, big fan of holography (not a joke). I also collect temporary tattoos and stickers.

 

 

Interview conducted and edited by Lily Szymanski. Artist photo by Mouna Tahar.