I am Kara Artman, that is the name I was given at birth. Raised in the small town of Streator, Illinois, once thriving, but who’s heyday was well before my time. I am an only child, raised by a single mother, as such much of my formative years were spent in the presence of my grandparents. They showed me that everything, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, could be used again. They taught me: its purpose may change but its usefulness had not. From an early age I was immersed in my families creative endeavors; knitting, painting, cross stitching, wood working and other objects of craft, often utilizing the materials of daily life, had on hand. It was only natural for me to gravitate towards the arts and the reutilization of neglected materials.
I attended/graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was another world, yet three hours from my rural home town. Focusing my studies in ceramics, but taking a wide variety of classes; printmaking, fiber studies, figure drawing, color theory and sculpture. To this day, my work spans many mediums, I find it liberating to express myself as such. This has led to a multitude of artistic visions, often utilizing a mass produced, post consumer product as a primary material. I find myself looking at everything, not only in regards to it’s original design but also its future possibilities.
Currently my artistic practice encompasses; three interrelated Trifle series, baskets and lighting woven from recycled material, painting (oil), fiber arts, hand built and cast ceramics . All my work has a commonality, some form of repetition wether in the process, the embellishment or in the quantity of pieces in a given body. Utilizing traditional techniques in untraditional ways. I reflect upon and draw from the vast amounts of historic relics I have gathered as inspiration. The democratic accessibility of information through the internet, exemplified by the digitization of institutional archives, allows research at levels once attainable only through physical access.
Whenever possible I go traveling, exploring forgotten places and the grand parks of America.