Description
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a multidisciplinary artist working primarily in fiber-based processes, drawing inspiration from smaller or weaker elements working together to create something stronger, and the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. I am driven by social responsibility in all aspects of my art practice, and believe in the arts’ ability to build as well as model community. This philosophical framework, in addition to the historical tradition of reuse and repurposing materials within fiber-based traditions, informs the role of the found object in my artwork.
Although there are many facets to my work, one constant that remains is my use of the found object. The found objects that I work with must be something that can no longer fulfill its primary function, and might otherwise be discarded. In this way, I see the found object as a metaphorical stand-in for societal outcasts. In claiming these objects, I apply value and see a new purpose for them.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Erin King received her Bachelor’s of Art with a Studio Emphasis from Webster University in St. Louis in 2012. King received her Master’s of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an Emphasis in Fibers from the University of Missouri – Columbua in May 2019. She was Fiber Artist-in-Residence at Craft Alliance in St. Louis from July through December 2019. She was selected as one of five Artists-in-Residence for the 2023 Disciples of Christ General Assembly in Louisville, KY. She taught the inaugural fiber arts class at Webster University in the fall of 2022, and served as a direct support professional at Fine Line Studios. King has taught community art classes through Craft Alliance, the World Chess Hall of Fame, and currently teaches classes through The Common Thread Art Ministry at the First Christian Church of Bellefontaine, OH.
© Erin King