Katie Kameen
About The Artist
Katie Kameen • Graniteville, SC
Jewelry • WHOLESALE AVAILABLE • CUSTOM COMMISSIONS
I deconstruct and recompose postconsumer plastics to construct sculptural jewelry. By representing recognizable objects in unrecognizable forms, I create formal abstractions that illustrate personal emotions, relationships, and experiences. As I manipulate my materials, I think about the colors and forms interacting with each other like characters, mirroring human relationships as they merge and separate. My recent work focuses on the meeting points between forms: seams, joints, openings, and overlaps. When exposed, these elements convey a sense of disconnection. With each piece I consider how I feel and act in different situations and locations, and the struggles of trying to acclimate. Deconstructed and rejoined, these abstract forms communicate a simultaneous union and division, culminating in a revitalized identity.
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Q&A with the ArtistTell us how your work is made.I make my work from used plastic objects like kitchen utensils, children’s toys, and utilitarian plastics. These objects are sourced from thrift stores, garage sales, and donations. In my studio I break them down into component pieces and sort them by size, color, form, and texture. These parts then become the raw materials for my artwork. It is important to my practice that these objects retain some aspect of their individual form, so that viewers can clearly make connections back to their own experiences with similar objects. For this reason, I never alter the color of my materials, and only allow myself to manipulate their forms. I use saws, files, drills, and heat guns to cut, bend, and reshape these forms. By cutting, setting, joining, and overlapping these shapes, I create complex narrative abstractions that reference aspects of personal experiences. |