Emily Dvorin
ARTIST STATEMENT
I call myself a sculptural basketmaker. My work focuses on transforming common materials into innovative, urban vessels that reflect abstract ideas, including societal excess and throwaway consumerism. I manipulate, construct, alter, coil, and weave to develop pieces that marry modern aesthetic with childhood whimsy.
I strive to give the viewer a process of discovery. What at first seem like conventional fibers may turn out to be a subtle arrangement of piano innards, shoulder pads, forks, curlers, spools or my signature material, cable ties. I believe anything can be basket material.
My goal is to change the definition of basketry by exploring contemporary interpretations of a traditional craft using non-traditional ingredients. Thus, as unorthodox mediums are reinterpreted as fibers, I can explore and illustrate the concept that even unexpected objects that we take for granted can become works of art.
I approach my baskets the way I approach my life: with innovation, irreverence, and a dash of humor. Over the years, I've learned to trust in the natural evolution of discovery, trial and error, and the occasional perfect marriage of idea and execution. Some baskets seem to come together effortlessly while others challenge every corner of my aesthetic and engineering skills.
As with everything that matters, there's a reverence and a satisfaction that comes from seeing a creation from start to finish. Like disparate notes that somehow manage to sing, my pieces represent the eternal truth that wonder can be found anywhere and everywhere, as long as you remain open and determined to find it.
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Graham Life is so precious. Through my art, I hope to convey my deep appreciation for the “life force” and I invite the viewer to share in the wonder I experience as an artist and protector of life in all forms. That “quickening,” that “life force” is a constant energy that surges through my veins and sparks my creativity. I am a creative; an artist, a dancer, a mother. I make art because I must. An interesting concept, an unusual form, or a sudden vision can steal me from my duties or awaken me from my dreams. My interests in preserving the environment and promoting social justice frequently drive the message of my artwork. My pieces often begin with a visceral response to an act of injustice or the destruction of our natural world and explode into social commentary. In the mid 1980’s, I passionately explored the ancient Japanese tradition of handmade paper. I was attracted to the use of natural fibers, water, and elements that promote fibrous interaction to ultimately produce a thing of beauty. Ten years later, I embraced the challenge of creating beauty and complexity from other materials that were raw and simple. This inspired me to explore a variety of media from transformed fabric and knotless netting, to repurposed, reclaimed, and reimagined materials. Then in 2009, life changes propelled me to become passionate about felting wool. As in making paper, felting wool transforms natural fibers through the use of water and fibrous interaction. By employing wet and dry techniques, laminating gauzy silks to the wool fibers, inlaying embellishments, and blending colored fleece, I create painterly fabrics, unique wall art, and exciting three-dimensional forms. As an Obstetrical nurse for four decades, I was entrusted with guiding women in the most awe-inspiring form of creation. Similar to assisiting the labor process, felting requires strength, calculation, patience, and a sensitive connection to the subtle transformation of the material. The fact that I am passionately attracted to the tactile, rhythmic, spiritual, water-dependent nature of my professions as a nurse and as an artist does not escape me.
