One of my favorite parts of publishing Wandering Educators is finding the extraordinary talent each month for our Artist of the Month. This month, we profile Leah Parkhurst, of Rustbelt Fiberwerks. Leah's fiber art is both modern and timeless. Her prints are on aprons, towels, coasters, and more.
The clean lines and beautiful colors of her art speak to us of simple, high-quality design. We were lucky enough to sit down and chat with Leah about her work. Here's what she had to say...
WE: Please tell us about your art...
LP: I am a fiber artist working and living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Through my company, Rustbelt Fiberwerks, I produce delicately crafted domestic items such as aprons, napkins, t-shirts and baby wear out of "old, discarded things." I primarily utilize sewing, pattern making and screen-printing as the foundation of my pieces. My work in textiles is often augmented with drawing, collage, metalsmithing and papermaking.
WE: How/when did you start becoming an artist?
LP: As a child I was introduced to sewing, quilting and macramé by my mother and great-grandmothers, all skilled amateur craftswomen. I draw from the shared memory of self-reliant, independent men and women who utilized commonplace materials and ordinary means to document their history, from historical printers like Ben Franklin to everyday people like my grandparents, creative folks who passed to me the values of recycling and reusing. I draw from personal memory, my years in a Little Rock punk scene and the Indie Craft movement that valued the work—screen printing, music, t-shirts, buttons and 'zines—for its own sake and energy, and that allowed me to nurture my own aesthetic and gave me a vocabulary of speech.
WE: What do you draw inspiration from?
LP: Memory is quite literally the foundation upon which I create. I rework used, discarded items into functional objects that improve our quality of life: housewares such as place mats, dish towels and napkins; wearables like aprons, t-shirts and baby cloths. I find the vast majority of my raw materials at thrift stores and estate sales near my home, such as bolts of old fabric, sweatshirts, drapes, shower curtains and bed sheets.
They're endlessly fascinating, these materials, coded with their own history, priceless information transmitted by other people, other experiences over the decades. The stories inherent in these recycled pieces speak to who I am as a person and an artist; they talk to me, sitting there on the thrift store shelf, telling me their stories, letting me know what they want to become. I cut them, refashion them, work around their patterns, sewing likes with likes, reveling in the contrast of color and texture.
WE: Where are your favorite places to create art?
LP: My favorite place to craft is alone in my Riverwest studio on a crisp fall
day.
WE: What do you enjoy creating most?
LP: I love making aprons! I'm always wearing them—in the studio, in the
kitchen, to clean the house. Their utility is unmatched: you can stick whatever you need in the pockets, they keep your clothes clean and you can wipe your hands on them, too. The bibs, skirts and sashes are sturdy, crafted out of durable materials like sail cloth, bark cloth and vintage flower sacks.
They're tough—you can abuse them and they'll be fine—but they're highly detailed, and each has its own personality, with macramé flourishes, screen-printed ornaments, buttons and lace.
These aprons are designed in the traditional sense, as much for cleaning as style, and are intended to preserve cherished memories of home. Since each apron is unique, I never get bored making them.
WE: How can readers find and purchase your art?
LP: Website:
RustbeltFiberwerks.com
Etsy site:
rustbeltfiberwerks.etsy.com
Retail Locations:
Milwaukee:
Paper Boat Gallery
2375 S Howell Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207
www.paperboatboutique.com
Oniomania
6430 W National Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53214
www.oniomaniawi.com
Brady Street Futon
1200 E Brady St
Milwaukee, WI 53202
www.bradystreetfutons.com
Beans and Barley
1901 E North Ave MILWAUKEE, WI 53202
www.beansandbarley.com
Fasten
2224 S Kinnickinnic Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207
fastencollective.com
Chicago:
Renegade Handmade
1924 West Division Street
Wicker Park, IL 60622
www.renegadehandmade.com
Atlanta:
Youngblood Gallery
636 Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
youngbloodgallery.com
Shows, Festivals and Craft Fairs:
Handmade Market in Chicago
www.handmadechicago.com
March 14, 2009
The Empty Bottle - 1035 N. Western Ave.?Chicago, Illinois 60622
Events:
April 2009
Solo exhibition at jw lawson FINE ART
414 East Homer Street
Milwaukee, WI 53207
www.jwlawson.com
Workshops:
Cedarburg Cultural Center
April 4, 2009
10am-3pm
cedarburgculturalcenter.org
Washington Avenue
Cedarburg, WI 53012
WE: Thanks so much, Leah, for sharing your art and your vision.
To find more of Leah's work, please see:
All photos courtesy and copyright of Leah Parkhurst.