Wk 12 — Artist OTW — Heather Anacker & Krista Feld

Artists: Heather Anacker & Krista Feld

Media: Fibers — Fiber Artists

About the Artist

Heather Anacker and Krista Feld are a collaborative group at Cal State Long Beach who are displaying their gallery for the BFA show. Their display is called Dwelling. They are both fiber artists.

Formal Analysis

When first entering the exhibit, you can see that there are shoes at the entrance. They said they wanted to create a different environment where one makes themselves more vulnerable. They want people who enter to be aware of their surroundings and not to take things for granted. They want people to take their time when going through. When entering you can see that they have their displays on walls and shelves. The first thing that comes into sight is their tool wall and tables. They showed the different materials and things they used for the rest of their exhibit. They said they used unwanted material for their art. They also use natural dyes to color their fibers — use of carrot tops, red/brown onions, and purple cabbage, Sawdust is also used for color. They have displayed their grandmother’s sewing machine and kits ad a homage to their heritage. They also have a donated tapestry loom. The main idea of their exhibit is to show an appreciation for fibers. Krista’s part of the exhibit was a structure/room that was transportable and specific to her needs. She also showed a pomegranate tree that she has been growing herself that symbolizes her adult life and growth. Another thing she did was turn an old family quilt into a sculpture that she used to perform. Heather’s part of the exhibit displayed a woven pod that she made. She also has an inspirational wall that contains different images she collected over time. She has displayed her own meditation space with a blanket made from naturally dyed fabrics and different crystals. At the end of the exhibit, there is a kitchen that contains a homemade table and is transportable. They make food for anyone who visits the exhibit and serve them in the ceramic bowls they made. Throughout the exhibit there are just natural colors — there is not one thing that is too bright that stands out. It is a very natural and relaxing room.

Content Analysis

The artists said that they liked using unwanted material in their art pieces, such as sawdust for color. I think that is interesting since many people wouldn’t think that sawdust can create color. I think that their appreciation of fibers was displayed well as they used it throughout their exhibit and pieces. They just want people to appreciate the little things because as we develop and industrialize it is taken away from us.

Synthesis/My Experience

I had never heard of fibers artists, so this was a very interesting thing to learn about. I was not aware that sawdust can be used for color! Sawdust, in my opinion, was seen as useless and I think that just shows that we don’t use our materials to their full advantage. I thought the woven pod was interesting and kind of reminds me of a tree from my childhood, so I feel like it would be comforting to be in there. I do think that we take things for granted every day because we do not notice the little things, so I think this exhibit showed us that we should appreciate the little things in our life more often.