Kristi Kuder
Battle Lake, MN
Visual
Residency Programs, Workshops for Adults, Teach K-12, Demonstrate, Serve as a Juror, Consultant
My creative passion is fueled by the examination and expression of life's contradictory and ambiguous circumstances. As a fiber artist, I'm drawn to wire mesh because of its capacity to convey the enigmatic state of mind that so fascinates me. With its ability to both reflect and filter light as well as be delicate yet strong, wire mesh is the fabric around which I build much of my work. To express the impervious and perpetual nature of ambiguity, I often work with stainless steel mesh. I then mark the mesh by fire-treating it with symbols, figures, and random patterns to create a shadowy veil of imagery that floats along diaphanous boundaries intermingling interior and exterior spaces.
Treating wire mesh like fabric and wire like thread; I stitch, gather, knit, felt and layer to create three-dimensional forms and installations. My work process is often the result of a laborious means. Using eyebrow tweezers, I deconstruct wire mesh thread by thread. Time finds a record within the materials I use by my incorporating repetition into process. My repetitive act is both meditative and obsessive and is an act of constructive thinking and deconstructive speculation. The task of art making with tweezers and wire mesh becomes meaningful when I layer my process with my introspection.
Throughout my career as a fiber artist, pushing traditional boundaries by exploring new materials and ways to express myself has always been an instinctive part of my process and artistic effort. I've included additives such as hog gut, paper pulp or plaster, to provide additional context and materiality to my work.
Recently, I started viewing ambiguity through the lens of Ambiguous Loss; a grief that occurs when both the presence AND absence of a loved one exist. Conditions that create Ambiguous Loss are complex and can include mental illness, immigration, war, divorce, Alzheimer's, gender transferal, and even a child leaving home for college. These conditions have become ubiquitous and are very relevant to our time. Most of us—at some point in our lives—will experience Ambiguous Loss at some level. This concept has deepened my understanding of ambiguity and broadened the relevance of my artistic expression.
