Getting to know Caitlin Parker
Caitlin is a multidisciplinary artist who received her Masters in Fine Art in painting from Bard College and her BA from the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Her works examine decay, growth, the passing of time, and the dynamics between humans and nature. We love the variety of natural materials and dyes she uses for her distinctive pieces and quilts.
Caitlin has exhibited across the US, UK and Europe and been a part of a few residencies. Keep reading to learn more about her unique process and perspective!
"My work investigates the process of reclamation and its expression in physical and psychological transformations. I’m drawn to narratives addressing the environment and memory. The tension between the natural world and human intervention is explored through subject and material."
Log Cabin, Quilt Painting
What would you like people to know when they first come across your artworks?
I’d like people to know that a lot of time and consideration has gone into the materials I work with. I’ve naturally dyed all of the fabric I use in my work, some even come from plants that I grow from seed. The subject matter of my work comes out of concern for our environment, and so it also makes sense to work with environmentally friendly materials. In order to produce the dyes I use, I get to do something beneficial by growing the plants and flowers. I also use fabric made out of natural non-toxic materials like hemp, cotton and linen as well as upcycled scraps of fabric that would otherwise be ‘waste’ and go into landfill.
When thinking about where you are in your journey, what are you most excited about and what keeps you inspired for the future?
I’m most excited about how nonlinear my journey has been so far, and will probably continue to be. I’ve been a painter for most of my life but I’ve also worked with photography, sculpture, video and now fabric. The natural world inspires me and is the thread that runs through the various media I’ve worked with. Since rediscovering my love of textiles six years ago, I’ve learned so much but still feel like a beginner. I get excited thinking about where the narrative and ideas that inspire my work will take me next.
If you could go to dinner with any artist, who would it be and why?
There are so many incredible artists I’d love to meet. One that stands out is Lenore Tawney. She was a groundbreaking multimedia artist who pioneered the recognition of textiles as art, not just in a craft context. I love how she broke down barriers between fine art and craft and worked in multiple formats and styles. I’d want to talk with her about how she had the strength to pursue making work that was probably met with a lot of hostility and condescension from some of her peers.
What is the best piece of advice you've been given?
I can’t think of any direct advice someone gave me. I look to writers for a lot of my inspiration and direction. I’m a huge Joan Didion fan. This quote is from a commencement speech she gave in 1975, and is filled with genius advice.
“I’m not telling you to make the world better, because I don’t think that progress is necessarily part of the package. I’m just telling you to live in it. Not just to endure it, not just to suffer it, not just to pass through it, but to live in it. To look at it. To try to get the picture. To live recklessly. To take chances. To make your own work and take pride in it. To seize the moment. And if you ask me why you should bother to do that, I could tell you that the grave’s a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace. Nor do they sing there, or write, or argue, or see the tidal bore on the Amazon, or touch their children. And that’s what there is to do and get it while you can and good luck at it.”
What is one thing you wish you'd be asked in an interview?
I wish there was more conversation around how artists make money. I think it’s important to acknowledge that most artists are not independently wealthy, we need to earn a living, whether from selling our artwork or selling art in addition to day jobs, various income streams or side hustles. Most of us don’t have the luxury of solely focusing on making the work, as much as we want to. We are also constantly figuring out how to make ends meet. I’d love for there to be more transparent discussion and collaboration in the art community toward finding creative solutions to making money and making art.
What music are you listening to these days?
SZA, Phoebe Bridgers, Janelle Monaé, Say She She, and Haim.