Artist: Kathryn Clark of San Francisco, California, USA
Interview 102
Subscribe to Artist Interviews here...
Interviews published by Gareth Bate & Dawne Rudman.
Biography
Kathryn Clark was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA and grew up in the Deep South. She moved to California in 1993 and worked as an urban planner and project manager for several firms including Calthorpe Associates in Berkeley, California. Informed by her background in planning and a fascination in how manmade design can affect society, she began to research current topics in the media. Her art explores current events using the functional object as a medium. Her work can be seen in Surface Design Journal, New American Paintings Juried Exhibitions in-Print, Uppercase journal and The Atlantic Cities online. She is a regular contributor to Handful of Salt magazine, which share the best in Design Craft worldwide. Kathryn lives and works in San Francisco and Sonoma, California, USA. Kathryn's website.
 |
Artist: Kathryn Clark, photo credit: Matt McDonald. |
Tell us about your work?
My work explores economic and other prescient issues using the functional object as a medium. My last series addressed the USA foreclosure crisis. As a former urban planner I was acutely aware of the impact this would have on our cities, but very little was mentioned in the news about the real causes of the crisis and how widespread it had become. I created quilts of foreclosures maps in the hopes of capturing people's attention around the crisis. Quilts act as a functional memory, an historical record of difficult times. The quilts are pieced together using the block patterns taken from neighbourhood maps. Within these, foreclosed lots are shown as holes in the quilts. The torn holes question the protective nature of a quilt.
My current work addresses global industrial agriculture and consumerism. I try to reveal the severity, but also the beauty of manmade design over nature. My work questions the impact these designs have on our society, environment and economics. By offering the viewer an object one can touch and use, it promotes a continual dialogue about the subject that continues beyond the gallery setting.
 |
Detroit Foreclosure Quilt, 22"w x 44"h, Cheesecloth, linen, cotton and quilting thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
From where do you get your inspiration?
I'm always on the lookout in the news for trends that relate to land use, planning, mapping, consumerism and production. In the current media, most stories just scratch the surface. I look for ideas where I can delve deeper into the story and find something that can be translated into art in some way, revealing a visual reference to the story that helps people understand the impact these choices have on us.
Reading blogs and skimming through Pinterest provides a lot of visual inspiration. It's nice to see what other people all over the world are making and also see what their own inspirations are.
I have a wonderful reference book that I flip through often called "Originals: American Women Artists" by Eleanor Munro. It features many historical women artists, and reading their stories has encouraged me to press on with my work despite any limitations that might be thrown my way. This book was my window into the fibre world.
I also look to the work of contemporary artists who make work very different from mine. Reaching far for inspiration pushes me to take chances in my own work. The Art21 video series that features contemporary artists is a great resource that shows artists in their studios at work and reminds me there is value in being an artist.
World of Threads Suggests: |
 |
Flint Foreclosure Quilt, 26"w x 46" h, Cheesecloth, linen, cotton and quilting thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
What specific historic artists have influenced your work?
Eva Hesse: She really struggled early in her career in finding her voice. Her decision to take risks with her work made her such an inspiration for me. Whenever I'm feeling doubtful about how insane an idea I have is, I think about her and her bold choices of material. Her work is still very modern fifty years later. Lucy Lippard's book is a great reference.
Sheila Hicks: It was Hicks who made me realize that fibre has a place in the fine art world. When I discovered Sheila, who uses a lot of idioms in her titles, I realized how powerful a title could be, which is very apt now in my own work. Her Weaving as Metaphor book, which a friend gifted to me in 2008, inspired my Idiom series.
Louise Bourgeois: Louise was fearless, bold and prolific. I was never drawn too much to her sculpture (a little too out there for me) but when I discovered her Ode à l'Oubli fabric book, it revealed a new understanding of her and her work. How brave of her to go from these powerful sculptures to make this beautifully bound, quiet book of fabric.
World of Threads Suggests: |
 |
Cleveland Foreclosure Quilt, 25"w x 60"h, Cotton, linen, recycled denim and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
What specific contemporary artists have influenced your work?
Anne Hamilton: Hamilton's work is powerful and interactive. It's very cerebral but it's also very beautiful on its own, which is a delicate balance to achieve. Her Event of a Thread installation in New York City was one of her finest installations. She has a strong connection to fibre and I love how it infiltrates her work from time to time.
Kiki Smith: Smith was the first contemporary artist I ever discovered. Her work is presented and executed beautifully and with such fragility. But if you dig deeper, the stories behind her work can be rather dark. It made me realize that creating beautiful work is very important to me no matter how dark the story might be.
Richard Tuttle: Whenever I look at Tuttle's art, it reminds me to play in my studio from time to time. For him, it's all about material, scale and relationships. He pushes a material to its' extreme. I learned from him you could make incredibly powerful work on such a tiny scale or with such a simple gesture (like one twist to a piece of wire). His work is just so out there. There is a documentary video about his work called "Never Not an Artist" that I highly recommend.
World of Threads Suggests: |
 |
Albuquerque Foreclosure Quilt, 35"w x 47"h, Linen, wool, yarn and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
What role do you think fibre art plays in contemporary art?
An ever increasing role, thankfully. Over the past five years there has been a dramatic uptick in the quantity of fibre in the art world. There is also more installation based fibre work happening now which is exciting. I suspect, as in all art movements, it will ebb and flow, giving way to another new previously unacceptable medium as fibre once was. I'm enjoying the ride while it lasts.
 |
Atlanta Foreclosure Quilt, 19 ½"w x 19 ½"h, Recycled denim, bleached linen, cheesecloth, yarn and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
Tell us about your training, how it has influenced you and how you have applied what you have learnt.
I am largely self-taught in art and working with fibre. Although my mother was a weaver, I never paid much attention to the medium when I was first starting out. In 2007, I began to notice beautiful fabrics and something just clicked. I realized when I was painting, I had actually preferred the raw canvas and linen to anything that I could paint on top of it. I had no idea how to sew and taught myself around 2010. I'm still learning every day as I hope to always be. I've made a lot of technical mistakes in the studio, which is the best way to learn. I take workshops and read up on techniques constantly to try to 'catch' up.
 |
Phoenix Foreclosure Quilt, 22"w x 52"h, Shot cotton, cheesecloth, linen, yarn and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
When you were starting out, did you have a mentor?
Since I was largely self-taught in the fibre world and didn't really know anyone at first doing what I was doing, my blog became my mentor. All of the artists I've featured mentored me in some way largely unbeknownst to them. I was spending lots of time researching art and found that the work I was drawn to had one similarity, using craft in the fine art world. At the time, having a blog was the best way to pull all of those visual images together as a reference for myself. I had no idea anyone else would be interested. It just happened that other people liked seeing what I was discovering (I'm research obsessed!). Now I have so many wonderful friends who are mentors, many of them live near me who I met online through my blog: Myrna Tatar, Lisa Solomon, Katrina Rodabaugh, Sonya Philip. The list goes on and on.
 |
Modesto Foreclosure Quilt, 16"w x 42"h, Tea stained voile, linen, cotton and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
Please explain how you developed your own style.
All my life I've always felt that my style was a little different than everyone else's, in the way I dressed, books I read, things I like to do. So it wasn't so unusual to find my own style in my art, even though I wonder if people will think I'm weird when I throw it out there into the world. Spending lots of time in the studio making a lot of work naturally leads one to develop their own style. I also found that when I pulled together all of the artwork that I admired, I was able to see a common element between the work, which was craft. And then I began to notice there were ideas I wasn't seeing that I wanted to explore. It's nice when you find a previously unexplored niche. Those moments are rare these days!
 |
Cape Coral Foreclosure Quilt, 30"w x 44"h, Recycled bleached linen, recycled string and embroidery on voile, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
What other mediums do you work in, and how does this inform your fibre work?
I am open to playing with whatever medium the subject calls for in my work. I'm currently learning ceramics for my series about global industrial agriculture. I do however prefer working with fibre so I am always thinking about how I can utilize it in my work.
 |
Riverside Foreclosure Quilt, 34"w x 46"h, Tea stained voile, cotton, linen, yarn and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
What bridges the works that you have created in differing media?
There is always a concept behind each series. The medium changes according to the best way to express the concept. I would like to say maps play a common role but I know this might shift over time. I do enjoy utilizing facts, common knowledge, and known patterns to express a unique message. I guess this stems from not having the best education as a child. It wasn't until I was in college that I realized how much learning I had missed. I suppose this is my way of making up for all of those years of poor education.
 |
Southern Chase Foreclosure Quilt, 23"w x 30"h, Tea stained voile, cotton, linen, yarn and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
Through your art, are you attempting to evoke particular feelings in your audience?
I love the idea of opening an audience's eyes to what is happening in the world. Encouraging people to pay attention to issues that are going on around them that aren't always top news in today's oversaturated media, but are very important stories nonetheless.
 |
Main Studio, photo credit: Lisa Solomon. |
 |
Sewing room, photo credit: Kathryn Clark. |
 |
Cutting muslin for making studies, photo credit: Zoey Clark. |
 |
Work wall with Chicago, Miami and Cape Coral Foreclosure Quilts, photo credit: Kathryn Clark. |
 |
Albuquerque in progress, photo credit: Kathryn Clark. |
 |
Albuquerque in progress, photo credit: Kathryn Clark. |
Tell us about your studio and how you work:
I have a 500 square foot studio on the ground floor of our house in San Francisco that I've worked in for fifteen years. It includes a sunroom that houses my sewing machines, a darkroom converted into storage and a 20' x 15' main room where I make my work. Our main living area is upstairs so it's nicely isolated. I have a small office upstairs with my computer that I keep far away from my studio (my love of research is too distracting to allow into my studio).
I work in the studio from 9 to 2:30 most days when my daughter is at school, spending a little time in the morning at the computer writing or responding to emails. Since my studio is in my house, it's easy for me to run downstairs when I have an idea in the evenings. This summer I plan to spend two months at my new studio in Sonoma. It's a small 500 square foot apartment on a property where we grow a lot of our own food. It will be interesting to work in a different environment, surrounded by my garden rather than the urban craziness of the city. I'm curious to see how it will affect my work.
 |
Las Vegas Foreclosure Quilt, 12"w x 36"h, Recycled denim, wool, yarn and embroidery thread on bleached linen, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
What do you see as the biggest challenge?
It's a delicate balancing act managing the business of art alongside the making of art. In this day and age, you can promote your work easily without gallery representation. However, it takes a lot of time and planning that takes away from studio time. It seems this year has been particularly challenging due to juggling the constant exhibitions for the quilts (not complaining!) while still trying to make work, write for a magazine and write for my blog.
 |
Miami Foreclosure Quilt, 41"w x 35"h, Cotton, cotton voile, denim and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
 |
Chicago Foreclosure Quilt, 31"w x 42" h, Linen, cotton and embroidery thread, Hand sewn quilt, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
What interests you about the World of Threads festival?
There's nothing else like the festival out there in the world. It's inspiring to see the celebration of contemporary fibre on such a huge scale. And for those of us who can't make it to the festival, the artist interviews are a great resource for inspiration.
 |
Hanging by a thread (Idiom Series), 12w" x 16"h, Thread on linen, Machine stitched with hand sewn embroidery, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
 |
What goes down usually comes up (Idiom Series), 12"w x 16"h, Steel wire on linen, Machine stitched with hand sewn embroidery, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
Is there something else you would like us to know about you or your work that we have not touched on?
My blog offers a lot of links to fibre artists as well as the place where I share my ups and downs making fibre work. My blog address is kathrynclark.blogspot.com
 |
Up and out (Idiom Series), 12w" x 16"h, Twine and cotton voile on linen, Machine stitched with hand sewn embroidery, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
 |
Button Up detail (Idiom Series), 12w" x 16"h, Linen, buttons and embroidery thread, Machine stitched with hand sewn embroidery, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
 |
Cutting Edge (Idiom Series), 12w" x 16"h, Rope on linen, Machine stitched with hand sewn embroidery, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
 |
Detail: Cutting Edge (Idiom Series), 12w" x 16"h, Rope on linen, Machine stitched with hand sewn embroidery, Photo: Kathryn Clark |
If you'd like to make a donation to help support our
"Weekly Fibre Artist Interviews" series, you can do so here.
Subscribe To Artist Interviews here...
Interviews published by Gareth Bate & Dawne Rudman.
Disclosure: This article incorporates 'affiliate links' to Amazon.com
Thanks for your support. Click here to shop at Amazon.com