Wk 12 — Artist OTW — Heather Anacker & Krista Feld
Artists Heather Anacker and Krista Feld are local creators from Cal State Long Beach who recently took part in co-leading an exhibit depicting aspects of their lives and lines of work, called Dwelling. Both drawn towards crafting unique pieces with purpose, these young artists combined bits from their lifestyles and lines of work to create awareness of how commonly used tools or materials can also be appreciated through a fine art lens. Krista is pursuing a career in the field of fine arts and art academia, and enjoys educating her peers and sharing her passion for creativity via hosting workshops. Heather was also a student at CSULB during the time of the exhibition and shared similar interests and passions for crafting and art.
Overall the exhibit had a very loose feel to it, not following a specific structure or pattern, which I think is the perfect way to engage the audience to interact more directly. Upon entrance, you are asked to remove your shoes to allow for more of an intimate and vulnerable experience. From the start this unique exhibit draws people in with its strange yet comforting environment, depicting everyday items such as random materials like spice or the artists’ tools. One of the first things you see is a shelf of random byproduct materials such as sawdust of several different colors and herbs all organized and lined up on a shelf, which are resting beside a wall full of tools used in their work. The look is very full and rich, consisting of rulers, paint brushes, and other essential tools for creating dyes for yarn. Beside these, Krista also has her apron hanging on the wall which is covered with faded splotches of color from the dyes. In front of this wall of tools, is a table displaying a variety of other tools used in their work, such as a sewing machine and their sewing kit. In the next room, Heather has set up a tapestry loom, which they received through a donation. Next in the exhibition, is a little room created with wood and drapes. This “room” is created for the purpose of always having what she wants in a little transportable room. Krista has her own space set up including her pod, which is a chair hanging from the ceiling that she created herself woven from different materials. Her desk has photos and objects of her inspirations, and her hanging closet has pieces she created and wears. She also had provided a kitchen space with ceramic bowls and utensils, all named after specific people and offered lunch for visitors. Overall, the space has a ton of unique and individual objects and items, all are representative of Krista and Heather’s specific spaces.
When first looked through, if you were to walk through this exhibit on your own with no context, you might be forced to really dissect the meaning of these everyday objects and might be even a little bit confused by the way everything was set up. Once you really take time to understand the perspectives of the artists, and how their spaces fit into the unique ways they live their lives, you begin to appreciate and marvel at the creativity and effort behind it. The main takeaway I think overall would be understanding and appreciating the major roll that everyday tools and objects fit in to our lives and livelihoods. For example, something as simple as a place to sit can be overlooked easily, and the value of having a personal, even handmade space takes it to a whole new level of belonging. The connection and almost nostalgia we feel for simple yet comforting things is so important and I think is such an original topic to analyze, that was done very well by the two girls.
Finally, I think that the topic itself was so original and can resonate with everyone on so many different levels. Personally, I have lived in the same house my whole life and can understand the deep connection to simple objects. Having never had to articulate it, I think that its amazing that they were able to capture intrinsic value of used tools and objects.
