C. A. Michel: Artist Statement

Artist Statement: Basketry work

Arts have the potential to reveal the world anew. Dance, poetry, sculpture can remind us of the elegance of movement, the intricacy of relationships, the infinite variations of color and tone. Even as a child, walking in woods, one is reminded of the childlike wonder of finding a feather during the course of a busy day. I found materials in nature and understood, at a primal level, that the process of conceptual and instinctual making transformed these raw elements into art.

I have been exploring the vessel form since the mid-90s. Baskets, ballet slippers, a circle of women - each represents a container, and each is filled with quiet energy. I stitch together materials and meaning so that we can hold in our hands something as ephemeral and strong as a basket made of feathers; coiled of iridescent blue peacock feathers, which are pure, vibrating color that has assumed a form, but not a substance. The blue seems deep, cool, and limitless, emphasized by an interior well of intense light, a crucible. Since ancient times, feathers have symbolized spiritual communication; birds, like messengers, fly between earth and sky. Peacocks represents beauty and transformation. I invite the view to join the great journey through this world with fresh awareness.

Co-Written by C.A. Michel & Maureen Doherty
Edited by Maureen Doherty

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