Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus
QUESTION 2. How has working with something so natural and tactile changed the way you think about craft and time?
ANSWER 2. I love working and making things with my hands, and for as long as I can remember I have known I wanted to be an artist. I also have always had a great appreciation for the natural world. Because of this clear path in front of me, I pursued degrees in art, specifically in sculpture and filmmaking, with the intention of creating art that tells a story and makes an impact on the lives of others. I utilize natural materials, processes and subject matter in my work in order to make connections and encourage empathy between people and the natural world. When working with a material like needle-felted wool, it makes reference to our long history of animal husbandry and the potential for mutually beneficial relationships between people and other forms of life. Traditionally, wool has been used for both practical and artistic purposes, but has predominantly been relegated to the realms of textiles and crafts. However, by using it in the context of fine art, it retains the historical significance yet is appreciated also for its aesthetic and expressive value. With this material, the process also becomes central to the work's significance. Needle felting wool is a lengthy, repetitive process that requires immense patience, and is reminiscent of other natural processes that take time to develop, grow and evolve into fruition. In our current age of instant and shallow gratification, this art form slows you down, focuses your attention, and establishes a deeper appreciation for the natural cycles of life.
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Ryan Aragon
Mixed media artist with a current focus on fiber arts
BIO: I am a multi-media artist and designer based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. My work focuses on the intersection between art and life, utilizing concepts, subjects, and materials drawn directly from the living world around me. My creations aim to bring light to the complex interactions between people, places and the rest of life, in an effort to encourage mutually beneficial relations between us all.
LINK: www.aragonstudios.com
QUESTION 3. When light and shadow blend through layers of wool, what mood or memory do you find yourself trying to capture?
ANSWER 3. The most fascinating aspect of the wool to me is the way that the fibers both catch and depict different kinds of light. Whether it is the warmth of sunlight blazing in the sky, reflecting off the snow, or radiating from a raging forest fire, light is a pivotal part of this work. Through the process of layering different colors of wool, it creates an atmospheric quality that provides a sense of space in the work. In that atmospheric space, like the sunrise against the clouds in a real sky, light, shadow and color dance dramatically within that space. The subject matter intensifies that drama, in which I attempt to capture the feeling of sublime awe, a philosophical and aesthetic concept of something so awe-inspiringly grand and powerful that it evokes a sense of beauty, wonder and terror simultaneously. This feeling, like the rest of my work, is meant to illicit greater awareness of and respect for life and the natural world.
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QUESTION 1. What role does texture play in the emotional impact of your work?
ANSWER 1. As a mixed media artist who often works with natural materials and processes, the tactile quality of a piece is pivotal to the overall experience of my work. Alongside the subject matter, the material considerations of a work, including the practical, conceptual and emotional aspects of those materials, all come together to help provide a deeper, more holistic experience. When it comes to texture, especially in regards to mixed or unusual media like needle-felted wool, this is frequently one of the first impressions someone gets of a piece, informing and setting the tone for the rest of the work. As a natural, living material, wool has a soft, warm and comforting quality to it. When dyed with color and arranged into specific imagery or abstract expressions, it can transcend its simple, inherently wooly nature and evoke an infinite range of emotions and possibilities. Of specific interest to my work is in using the soft, warm and comforting aspects of this material to draw people into the world of the work and then through the subject matter reveal the other sides of nature and touch upon a fuller range of experiences. Nature is both life and death, it is beautiful and tragic, light and dark, hot and cold, spiritual and material, infinite and singular, and all of this complexity can be evoked through the simple tactile process of needle-felting wool.
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