Beyond The Fringe Interview: Linda Michel-Cassidy
Artist Linda Michel-Cassidy will be in this year’s Beyond The Fringe show. The pictures in this post are of her piece Residue. The installed dimensions are 10 ‘ high by 6′ wide and the pods are the pods are assorted wools, alpaca and yak.
What drives you to create?
I have come to believe that creating is inherent in my personality. It’s not an option; rather it is part of who I am.
Why did you choose fiber as your medium?
I work across media. I went to undergrad for metals, taught metalsmithing, but worked a lot in cast cement and fiber as well. In grad school, I was admitted in metals, but continued to work in fiber, plastics as well as metals and then did my thesis in paper, building materials and cookies. I try to choose the media that suits the piece rather than create a piece around my attachment to a particular material.
What kind of materials do you incorporate into your art? Where do you find them?
As above, I guess anything. I’ve used wallpaper, raw alpaca, discarded beakers….I’m open to anything. I like to use local animals for fiber, or small mills if it’s yarn. I spin myself, so I’ll do that where need be. When I use other types of things, I like to check out re-use centers and I love hardware stores.
How much time do you typically invest in a piece?
It depends. With conceptual pieces, I don’t think I can assign a time, because there is often research and writing along with…it’s not just the actual making. One of my pieces for this show….maybe 180 hours of physical work…maybe more. But I’m listening to podcasts, so is it really that much time? I also did some research around it, before it was ‘a piece’ in my head.
I have a paper installation I’ve been working on for a couple of years. Then there’s one piece (not in this show) that got a bit of play, that took all of an afternoon, but I’d been thinking about it for, what? My whole life, it seems.
What is your process to turn your artistic vision into the finished piece?
Making, of course. Writing along with it, always. I wouldn’t say that I have a finished vision at the start. That’s just not how I work things…particularly with fiber. I prefer to work more intuitively. So the process is the rhythm of making, be it knitting, forging, cutting, and letting that flow take control and dictate where the piece goes. The piece I am working on now is handspun, which allows for a lot of this, and then knit, which is a bit more controlled. Another piece is hooked, so it was very planned out.
What is the special meaning or message behind your work?
I used to do a lot of political work. The previous administration gave me a lot of material. It was maybe even a bit too didactic, but frankly I was pissed about what was going on.
Now I am more concerned with our detachment from really living and our loss of the ability to be ourselves. I still have the political concerns…maybe I’m just a little less frustrated. I used to do a lot of humor. Maybe my lack of anger will propel me back in that direction!
Some artists create their art for therapy purposes. Does that apply to you?
No. Or I should say, my position on that is sure, go ahead, make that work, but it’s private. Making can be very therapeutic, absolutely, but using one’s pain to get attention, I’m not sure that helps anyone. If you’ve come out the other side, great, pass that on, but that would be the after effect.
What artists do you admire most?
Smithson, Tom Joyce, Louise Bourgeois, Wolfgang Laib, Eva Hesse; these folks I always love. I am very fickle with my Art crushes. Mark Thompson is great if not prolific. Linda Fleming’s work is fabulous, as well. I just met Ted Larsen skiing and took a look at his website; his work is very subtle and right on aesthetically.
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere: the news, on a hike, on a road trip, in a fantastic novel. I don’t look for it; it usually smacks me upside the head when I’m not looking for it.
Do you have any upcoming projects or art shows this year?
I am doing a collaboration with a group of poets, which I am very excited about. I am supposed to have a solo show (metals) but it’s not at all written in stone at this point. I usually do something with The San Francisco Center for the Book, so I hope to do that again. I have one project that has been hanging over me for years, so I guess my big goal is to get that done. Put that beast to rest.
How can people contact you?
No.hum.here @ gmail.com
1 comment March 3rd, 2010
