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Kara Artman,
Bluffton, South Carolina
Website: http://www.karaartman.com
Email: Kara.artman@gmail.com
Instagram: @kara_artman
Facebook: @Kara_Artman_Art
Artist Statement:
Trifle: A thing of little or no importance. Most regard the detritus of the past in this way, I work in opposition to the notion; believing there to be a story in that which we leave behind. My maternal grandparents treasured most every trifle or curio they crossed paths with. A dresser in the spare room seemed to contain every letter they received, as well as crackerjack prizes, harmonicas, yo-yos, baseball cards, and the occasional dirty joke. The shelves and display cabinets were filled with my grandmother's long-empty Avon bottles, rocks from distant places, and not-to-be-touched carnival glass. I, too, am a collector of trifles; as such, my work is filled with trinkets and curiosity. The remnants of past eras remain, remarkably elegant, especially in relation to their modern equivalents. I surround myself with the ephemera of our forebearers, steeping my thoughts with history and the work of human hands. It is the feeling; of having a story, a soul, that I try to embody in my work. These compass points have led to a multitude of artistic visions, often utilizing mass-produced, post-consumer products as a primary source material. Engaging diligent research as the foundation of my working practice, my art embraces the realm of the trifle and the story’s of which they tell.
Studio Description:
A small home studio, lined with shelves that are bursting with my molds. A long working bench with multiple 5-gallon tapped buckets of different kinds of slip. As well as a few hundred pounds of clay I have acquired in my travels, be it clay I dug or clay from retiring artist and studio closings. I am amassing a great collection of legacy materials.
