Artist: Heather Anacker & Krista Feld
Media: Tools, textiles, weaving, structures, fibers, sculptures
Heather Anacker and Krista are a collaborative groupwho in the video are presenting the show Dwelling. The two women, working together, seem to show a common interest in simplicity, vulnerability, awareness, and of course art. However, their form of art is not what one typically thinks. Instead of paintings and drawings, what they do is more three dimensional and in a way also very personal. In their exhibit, they gave the audience a very personal outlook into their lives through what they’ve made over the years.
What immediately catches the eye is the tool wall. Both Heather and Krista collaborated and contributed to the tool wall. It is very interesting to look at the wall because it holds both giant and small objects whether it be for sculpting, building, weaving, etc. It was also cool to see the apron on the tool wall, and then when looking at it up close you can see different colors and stains from past projects. What one might just see as a dirty old thing, another person sees as growth and a collection of a lot of hardwork and effort that was put into other things. Also, with this tool wall it gives the audience better insight into the other projects. It lets us understand and be able to make connections and see what went into what. One of Krista’s solo projects that was very interesting was her portable room or home. Overall, it is very simple and stipped down, because it is a collection of just her essentials. Throughout the years, she has been able to learn about herself and figure out what she really needs to keep her grounded and content with her like. Although a simple structure, the shelves on the sides is where she is really able to make it her own, with all the personal nic nacs and objects that she holds close to her. The piece of Heather’s that seemed most interesting was her hand woven, purple pod that was hanging from the ceiling. When talking about the inspiration behind it, about when she lived for a time without chairs, it really gave perspective. It let us into her life and the why behind it all. She didn’t just make a basic chair to sit on, but instead made something that wasn’t even touching the ground. After sitting on floors or counters, it must be super comforting to then be able to get into this cozy little pod and feel like you are floating, which is a very creative way to reinvent a place to sit.
Overall the whole exhibit felt very simple yet comforting. Most of what was shown was very personal to them. Whether it was the stuff woven and made from family heirlooms, the little room with the deep backstory, or the handmade pod that came from wanting comfort, they all have a deeper and more personal story to them. Everything else in that gallery was clearly personal to either one of them. Besides the tool wall and kitchen area, the room was divided into Krista’s space or Heather’s space where she actually had a large portion of the wall covered in pictures that she has either collected over the years or simply ones that she looks to for future inspiration. Nomatter what project it was, it had a deep connection to them, which was interesting, but at times made it hard to relate to. You really have to commit to being open minded and interested in learning about them, because if not, it might be hard to understand and not as fun of an experience.
Overall, it was different than expected. The two of them express being very simple and economical, which is something I think not every student or person can say the same about. I try to be as conscious as possible about food for example, which they talked about when in their little kitchen area, but I wouldn’t say I am to their extreme. This really gives the people insight and perspective into both of their specific lives and way of living. Again, very different from what I know and have experienced in life so far; there is not so much I can say I can relate to, but as a whole it was a very cool and interesting experience being able to see into other peoples’ lifestyles in terms of food, materials, and overall art.
