Following the Material: Kate Johnson

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Author: Victoria Saccomagno (OVAC Intern)

Kate Johnson, Dreamscapes: GoodLuck, Bad Luck, 19x16x9”,
Crochetedand felted cotton rope, wool and string, 2012

Thereis a kind of comfort and surreal nature to Tulsa artist Kate Johnson’s Dreamscape pieces. She has created five woven and crocheted forms;none with any recognizable shape or inclination. They are all created withhalf-inch cotton rope and various crochet techniques; the pieces truly formthemselves as they are not premeditated shapes. Rather, they are as clouds;taking an unexpected shape from a series of spontaneous movements. Johnson toldme a bit about how she came to work with these materials and to what point herprocess is allowed to operate independently from her design of the piece.
Q: Can you tell me a bit about the evolution ofthe materials you use in your work? Do you think your media will continue toevolve, or are you content in what you work with now?KJ: The fiber work that I’m doing now evolved outof the work I was doing in Grad school. I was casting a lot of different fiberelements in clay slip - everything from clothing to small recliners. That workwas all very representational. After finishing a large-scale clay installationI had the desire to explore fiber on its own, which is what led me to makingthe Dreamscape series. I am enjoying this series, but I expectthe work to continue to evolve and change with each new piece.

Kate Johnson, Dreamscapes: You’llNever Know, Dear, 22x22x2”,
Crochet,cotton rope, wool and string, 2012

Q: What would you say has been the biggestinfluence on your work so far?KJ: Ithink it is sometimes difficult to trace influence, but there is one particularexperience in my life that I can say, for sure, has directly influenced mywork. I saw my first fiber art show when I was interning in New York back in2007. I was aware of the fiber art movement at the time, but it was my firstexperience up close and personal. I remember feeling like an entirely new worldof possibilities had just opened up. I was energized and inspired by almosteverything I encountered in the gallery.

Kate Johnson, Dreamscapes: Hit Like a Bullet, 25x20x4”,
Crochetedand felted, cotton rope, wool and string, 2012

Q: Where does your technical process start? Isthe idea in your head before you begin, or do you start with your hands?KJ: Itusually starts with the material itself. The material tends to dictate whatdirection my hands will go and from there I end up with a raw form. With the Dreamscape series, I knew what size andgeneral aesthetic I wanted, but the shapes were created spontaneously. Iusually think I know what direction the shape will hang on the wall, but Ialmost always end up turning it upside-down or even completely flipping it overto what was originally the backside. At that point I start to carefully planwhere the smaller details go and where I will deconstruct or add additionalmaterial.
The Concept/OK: Art inOklahoma exhibition opens December 16, 1-5 pm at the new Tulsa Artsand Humanities Council’s Hardesty Arts Center. See www.concept-ok.org formore information.