Lisa Kaser

News: Lisa Kaser's solo show will be at the Basement Gallery 22 September - 3 November 2012

Lisa Kaser comes from a family of artists and so drawing and painting was something she had always taken for granted. Wanting to make her own path in the world she chose theatre and dance as her focus at college. Following an off-loom class in felting she returned to the visual arts, moving to a textile and fiber arts course in her third year. This early diversion into theater may perhaps be why her work has such a strong narrative element.

“Creating scenarios with characters that evoke a moment of clarity, purpose, joy or mystery is meaningful and fun for me as an artist. The narrative has emerged as one of my favorite exploits.”

She is now an established illustrator and sculptor. Her illustrations and textile background inform her sculptural work. These works are largely created from found materials gathered on her daily walks, combined with felt, hand sewing and encased in layers of natural beeswax.

“ I prefer materials that I can salvage, reuse or make. For instance, the street sweeper bristles I have been collecting for years-most everyone would not even notice them or not recognize them for having any use. For me, they have become the primary material for all my armatures. They are the perfect material! Made out of steel they develop a rich patina, they are malleable but incredibly strong so I can bend them by hand and they are flat so I can stitch them onto cloth or wrap them together with waxed linen thread to build bigger shapes. This has great meaning to me from the standpoint of recognizing value in something discarded and what simple ingenuity can produce.”

Slide Show