Kelly Boehmer:Absurd Beauty
Kelly Boehmer is a contemporary artist who creates soft sculptures and performance artworks. Her sculptures combine a variety of materials to celebrate the strange, grotesque beauty of the world around us. By re-using materials and sewing her works by hand, Boehmer fabricates a complex, undulating surface full of texture and detail.
How did your creative journey begin?
I have always made art, but I started out as a painter. Now I work with what has traditionally been considered “craft” materials, like yarn, faux fur, glitter, and organza. I mash-up the craft materials with bones, scrap fur, and taxidermy. I especially like to use damaged and otherwise rejected taxidermy that no one else wants.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I am a huge fan of “King Cobra” (Doreen Lynette Garner), Yayoi Kusama, Louise Bourgeois, Mike Kelley, Ebony Patterson, Kiki Smith, David Altmejd, and Tamara Kostianovsky.
How has your work evolved over the last few years?
I feel like I am trying more and more to capture a feeling of attraction/repulsion. I am learning more techniques on how to manipulate and transform fabric.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
All of my work is sewn by hand, so it typically takes a few months to complete a piece. I have a travel sewing kit that I bring in my purse and take with me everywhere that I go. It becomes a traveling studio of sorts. I can usually sew a few minutes here and there, when at a restaurant, in the car, etc. When I am working in the studio, I am often assembling the small pieces that I have sewn with my travel sewing kit. Another part of my process is that I like to take apart my old sculptures to make new works. So, after an exhibition, I disassemble most of my pieces and then that becomes the material to create new sculptures. This helps the materials acquire a visual history on the surface of the fabrics, from being used and reused. This seems to relate to using taxidermy and giving the material “another life”.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
Lately, I have had a few pieces directly inspired by imagery from cooking shows. I watched a chef skin an alligator and the image stayed with me. The skin was a weird, but beautiful pink color. It was one of the most bizarre, alien things that I had seen. I made the piece "Drool" based on that experience.
How has social media impacted your work?
I find a lot of artists that I like on Instagram. I also find images to share with my students for inspiration as well. It feels more fun and casual than traditional “research”. Most importantly, it has been a great way to stay in touch with a community of artists.
What drew you to soft sculpture as your chosen medium?
I hit a stuck point with my paintings in graduate school, until I tried experimenting with other media. I finally had a breakthrough when I started sewing and embroidering into my drawings and paintings. Eventually, the work became more and more fibers based, and dimensional. Now, I have been working with soft sculpture for about 20 years.
I recently completed a commission of works where I used embroidery. I am excited by the idea of bringing the work full circle in a way, and finding new ways to embellish the surface of the work with embroidery.
Website: kellyboehmer.com
Instagram: @kelly.boehmer