Artist Statement
My process-based practice overlaps physical acts of labor and repetition that is specific to both site and the raw materials used to create sculptures and immersive installations. In exploring ideas of labor these works become relics derived from my hand and act as a reminiscence of this performance: digging, pressing, gleaning, pulling, blending, spinning, boiling, firing, moving, tying, and wiring.
My labor transformed these raw materials into fundamental art elements of lines and planes that stretch and move through the gallery becoming marks within the space. Inhabiting specific spaces in this gallery, these components highlight mundane materials, hours of labor, and the architecture of the gallery to sharpen the awareness of the viewer experiencing the work. Through these works I aim to create relationships the viewer experiencing the work. Through these works I aim to create relationships from myself to viewer, viewer to space, and space to module.
By being aware of these relationships, I aim to create a platform for each viewer to become mindful of the sourced material. I ask the viewer to actively notice the touch of my hand, the contrast of sleek to handcrafted, and the physical area this work fills. This act of observation derives from the ideas of social psychologist Ellen Langer: “the simple act of actively noticing things.” My labor transformed raw materials that inhabit gallery spaces with the hopes for the viewers to notice; which in turn creates a mindful presence in the space.
Bio
Brittany Sievers received her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and MFA from Louisiana State University. During her time as a graduate student, Brittany was awarded the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award and the Aeschlimann Art-St-Urban Spring Residency in Switzerland. In 2021, Brittany was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in 3D. Brittany has taught foundations, sculpture, and ceramics at a variety of institutions including Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA), DePauw University (Greencastle, IN), Vincennes University (Vincennes, IN), Muskingum University (New Concord, OH), and Lawrence University (Appleton, WI).