2019 SOLO SHOWS Susan White
“I work with materials, like hair and old linens, that are rich with both a personal history and a memory of the body. For me, art occurs when I am able to reach some transformation of both material and its related associations through simple actions. Intuition, chance, and imperfection are important components in my construction process, while I search to find a middle ground between my voice and the voice of the material. The objects I create exist in the tangible space where biology and psychology meet, and cause us to consider our emotional connection to our physical existence.
Traditional textile craft, taught to me by my grandmother and mother, has had a significant influence on my construction techniques. Whether through crochet or hand stitching, I tend to subvert conventional approaches not only through my choice of material, but with a resistance to make anything practical or functional. Through simple repetition and a commitment to months of hand labor, my work often questions the act of making and my emotional attachment to these processes.”
Born and raised in Richmond, VA, White received a B.A. in 1991 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.A.T. in Art Education from SMFA/Tufts University in 1997, and an M.F.A. in 2003 from the University of California at Davis. White has shown her work nationally in MA, CA, and WI. Madison exhibitions include amnesia, recall, at UW’s Porter Butts Gallery, 2009; Handmade Meaning: The Value of Craft in Victorian and Contemporary Culture at the James Watrous Gallery, 2010; Time (Im)material: Kaufman-Buhler, Miller, Velliquette, White at Union South’s 1308 Gallery, 2011; and Bookless at the Madison Public Library, 2012. White has been an arts educator for over 25 years, in settings as diverse as universities, public schools and museums. In the winter of 2016, White relocated to Manchester, VT, where she currently lives with her husband and two children.
Click on each of Susan White’s pieces below to view titles, dimensions, and pricing. If you are interested in purchasing a piece of artwork, please call 802-362-1405, or email info@svac.org.