
Eliza Fernand went to pre-school in Pentwater, graduated with honors from Interlochen Arts Academy, and received her BFA in sculpture from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland OR. Her sculpture, installation and performance works revolve around the combination of sensual and familiar materials, the interaction between bodies and objects in space, and the transformation of materials and ideas. Eliza has exhibited in and curated shows on both coasts and in between, and she has lived and worked at artist's residencies in New Jersey, Normandy, California, North Carolina, New Mexico, Quebec, Idaho, Washington, and Minnesota. Partnered with her mother, Diana Hooyman, she co-founded and co-directs Pentwater's Shared Space Studio, and manages the visiting artists program.
Eliza will speak at Shared Space this Sunday at 7pm, presenting her recent projects:
Last summer and fall, I recorded over 100 quilt stories in twenty-five cities and towns; from Washington, to Massachusetts, to Texas, and back to Boise. I documented my route by photographing the tent in the varying landscapes I traveled through.
This project is part of an ongoing body of work that investigates the themes and history of quilt-making, as applied to a contemporary practice. Through fieldwork and examination, I am learning the social and aesthetic traditions of the craft, and conceptualizing my findings into an ongoing series of works. Working in a continuum of installation, performance, and sound, this project allows me to employ a wide range of methods, while researching a rich central theme. The project expresses many of my intentions as an artist and teacher; reusing discarded materials for art, empowering communities through teaching self-sustaining skills, creating socially engaging projects that demystify the practice of artists, and encouraging cross-media collaboration."
www.elizafernand.com