March 2022 Featured Artist
Blending History and Art to Educate, Empower and Inspire
An Interview with Fine Artist
Carole Kunstadt
Portrait Collaboration Credit:
Carole Kunstadt with Photographer Kevin Kunstadt |
Carole Kunstadt was born in Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood in a small New England town. She received a B.F.A. from Hartford Art School in Connecticut and continued with postgraduate studies at the Akademie der Bildenen Künste, Munich, Germany. Eight years ago, she re-entered a familiar landscape as in her youth, moving to the Hudson Valley, having lived for 35 years in New York City.
Carole's works often invoke a metaphysical quality. Her pieces reference antique books, bookplates and artifacts - deconstructing paper and text and using it in metaphorical ways. Through the exploration of the materials, history, memory and time merge in a hybrid form. Carole has received numerous awards. A recent list includes: ASK/Kingston Annual Juror's Award 2021; 2017 Kuniyoshi Fund Award; Medal of Honor & The Anna Walinska Memorial Award 2017 and the Bobbi Mastrangelo Environmental Art Award 2021, National Association of Women Artists; Award for Excellence 2016, Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center, Nyack, NY. Notable group exhibitions: Slash: Paper Under the Knife, Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY; Between The Covers: Altered Books in Contemporary Art, The Everhart Museum, Scranton, PA; As Subject and Object: Contemporary Book Artists Explore Sacred Hebrew Texts, Museum of Biblical Art, New York, NY; Interfaith Biennial, Dominican University, River Forest, IL; Books Undone: the art of altered books in contemporary art, Penn College, Williamsport, PA; Triennial 2018, Arts/Westchester, White Plains, NY; WORD 2016, Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NY; Boundless: Altered Books in Contemporary Art, Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington, CT (curator/exhibitor). |
Her works are included in many private and public collections: George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, ME; The Book Arts Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC; The Permanent Collection, Center for Book Arts, New York, NY; and Baylor Book Arts Collection, Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
The PBS/OFF BOOK Book Arts mini documentary featured Carole in the segment, "Transforming the Sacred."
The PBS/OFF BOOK Book Arts mini documentary featured Carole in the segment, "Transforming the Sacred."
"PRESSING ON" SERIES: Homage to Hannah More
Antique Sad Irons, Scorched Lace & Paper with Pages by Hannah More (1791) © Carole Kunstadt |
Carole discusses her process, use of materials, and the inspiration behind her "Ovum" and "Pressing On" series.
You are inspired by women in history - abolitionists, women's rights advocates, educators and journalists - whose passions and talents informed the public and paved the way for change. Please explain how your use of material complements the written words of wisdom from these historical figures, specifically in your "Ovum" and "Pressing On" series.
I have always been drawn to texts and manuscripts, and I practiced calligraphy as a young artist.
I bought an antique book because I truly appreciated the qualities of the paper and text. I used it in a collage, but I quickly realized that it was not just the pages that were compelling – it was a container of past experiences and histories. The text conveys ideas and concepts, but the book - as an object - is a vessel for past energies.
My work does not represent a literal 'reading' of Hannah More [whose writings are incorporated in "Pressing On"] or Margaret Fuller [whose writings are incorporated in "Ovum"]; rather, I'm interested in the essence of their involvement and passions in life.
You are inspired by women in history - abolitionists, women's rights advocates, educators and journalists - whose passions and talents informed the public and paved the way for change. Please explain how your use of material complements the written words of wisdom from these historical figures, specifically in your "Ovum" and "Pressing On" series.
I have always been drawn to texts and manuscripts, and I practiced calligraphy as a young artist.
I bought an antique book because I truly appreciated the qualities of the paper and text. I used it in a collage, but I quickly realized that it was not just the pages that were compelling – it was a container of past experiences and histories. The text conveys ideas and concepts, but the book - as an object - is a vessel for past energies.
My work does not represent a literal 'reading' of Hannah More [whose writings are incorporated in "Pressing On"] or Margaret Fuller [whose writings are incorporated in "Ovum"]; rather, I'm interested in the essence of their involvement and passions in life.
Pressing On No. 109
Antique Sad Iron, Repurposed Fox Fur, Scorched Paper with Pages by Hannah More (1791) ~ 4 x 5 x 4 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
Pressing On No. 8
Antique Sad Iron, Scorched Linen Thread & Paper with Pages by Hannah More (1791) ~ 6 x 3.75 x 10 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
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The "Pressing On" series recombines Hannah More's* pages with antique sad irons, reflecting not only her efforts to elevate the female experience in the domestic realm but also alludes to the hardships, tensions and demands on women historically.
*Hannah More was a writer, poet, ardent abolitionist, philanthropist and promoter of women’s rights. Carole purchased More’s An Estimate of the Religion of the Fashionable World: By One of the Laity (1791) in a rare book store in Connecticut and incorporated some of this prose in her "Pressing On" series. The "Ovum" series consistently utilizes the egg form as a metaphor for Margaret Fuller's* ideas, as it symbolizes fertility, hope, perseverance and possibility. *Margaret Fuller was a 19th-century educator, social reformer, abolitionist, transcendentalist and women’s rights advocate. Fragments of text from her book Woman in the 19th Century and other writings are incorporated in Carole's "Ovum" series. |
"Pressing On" (Left to Right: No. 1, No. 5, No. 4)
Antique Sad Irons, Linen Thread, & Paper with Pages by Hannah More (1791) © Carole Kunstadt |
Ovum XXIX
Antique Coal Miner's Wooden Canary Cage, Goose Egg, Feathers, Wooden Eggs, Steelcut Tacks & Paper with Pages by Margaret Fuller (1855) ~ 7 x 5 x 7 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
Ovum I
Steel Tacks, Ostrich Egg, Repurposed Vintage Fur Muff, & Paper with Pages by Margaret Fuller (1855) ~ 6.5 x 10 x 10 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
If these historical women had the chance to view your work, what would you hope they would take away from your visual interpretation of their writings?
Contemporary concepts of feminism, agency, empowerment, equality and identity have evolved over time.
I would hope that they would feel understood, appreciated and impactful that centuries later their efforts, actions and influences continue. When we understand where we have come from, we can more clearly move forward.
Contemporary concepts of feminism, agency, empowerment, equality and identity have evolved over time.
I would hope that they would feel understood, appreciated and impactful that centuries later their efforts, actions and influences continue. When we understand where we have come from, we can more clearly move forward.
Ovum II
Ostrich Egg, Twigs & Paper with Pages by Margaret Fuller (1855) ~ 5.75 x 10.5 x 8.5 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
“Kunstadt’s work is a kind of post-word world. It’s the reimagining of the pages that creates their magic. In Kunstadt’s hands, books are broken down and transformed, phoenix-like, into new shapes that encompass the original meaning of the words while transcending them.” ~ Brian K. Mahoney, Chronogram |
Please explain the juxtaposition of the soft and hard materials you use and how they fit into your recurring themes.
In “Pressing On” I have combined threads, lace, textiles and fur with antique sad irons providing a contrast - soft/hard. There's an implied comfort, a personal and intimate quality to these fibers. Alternatively, the forged iron, worn and often rusty, implies tension, heat, hardship and labor. Female servants' and slaves' duties included washing and ironing. The antique sad irons are particularly well matched with More's writings as she had devoted her entire life to raising awareness and abolishing slavery in the United Kingdom.
In “Pressing On” I have combined threads, lace, textiles and fur with antique sad irons providing a contrast - soft/hard. There's an implied comfort, a personal and intimate quality to these fibers. Alternatively, the forged iron, worn and often rusty, implies tension, heat, hardship and labor. Female servants' and slaves' duties included washing and ironing. The antique sad irons are particularly well matched with More's writings as she had devoted her entire life to raising awareness and abolishing slavery in the United Kingdom.
As I'm looking at your pieces, I have the desire to touch them and feel the textures. Is this a reaction you expect from those who view your work?
Yes, they are very tactile. Texture and materiality are important aspects of the work. I am intuitively striving for a balance of content, material and execution.
In a solo show a few years ago, I had an installation of 86 sad irons placed on a 16-foot-long, antique wooden table and the Museum Director questioned whether ‘No Touching' signage should be placed nearby. I gave it some thought and decided against it. It seemed impossible!
Let's discuss your process a bit. Do you know where you're going with a piece from the beginning, or do you let the texture/temperature of your materials take you in an unplanned direction?
I may have an idea at the outset, but during the process of working with the materials the work becomes fully realized. Since I work in series, one piece gives birth to the next as a result of the process and exploration of the materials. I often work on multiple series concurrently, allowing the work to breathe and expand as it progresses - letting some objectivity in.
Aphrodite's Purse - OVUM XII
Vintage Wire Egg Basket, Handblown Glass Nesting Eggs, Pearls, Monofilament & Swarovski Crystal Beads ~ 25 x 20 x 20 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
OVUM III
Antique Metal Egg Basket, Wooden Nesting Eggs (ca. 1920) & Paper with Pages by Margaret Fuller ~ 11 x 8 x 8 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
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Many of your pieces incorporate weave patterns. Have you always been drawn to use this as part of your design? Why?
The path of inspiration following art school led me to studying in Europe and viewing art and tapestries wherever possible. I had been executing my designs into layered and sewn fabric constructions but was limited by existing fabrics. I became interested in contemporary tapestry in order to facilitate expanded selections of colors and texture. Upon returning to New York City, I found an internationally known tapestry workshop in the heart of Soho and became an apprentice and then assistant in weaving large-scale, photorealism tapestries for corporations. The inventory of thousands of yarns of varying colors and textures developed a keen eye. The commissions took anywhere from a few months to years to weave. Due to frustration with the technical and laboriously intensive work, and after my first pregnancy, I returned to drawing, painting and collage in my studio, inspired by paper, layers and texture. I had begun working with pages from an antique book of psalms when I intuitively cut the paper into strips and started to weave them together. The years of fascination with tapestry weaving – which previously seemed like a detour in my creative path – now brought me back full circle. The satisfaction of weaving again, after a gap of 25 years, was startling. The immediacy of the materials, the tactile process and the resulting transformation was ultimately rewarding. |
OVUM XIV - Breakthrough
Silk Thread, Antique Egg Illustration & Bookplates (ca. 1880's) ~ 6.75 x 6.5 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
Interlude No. 23
Thread, Paper & 19th c. Dantier/Paris Music Manuscript ~ 8.325 x 8.75 inches © Carole Kunstadt |
Readers can view Carole's "Interlude No. 23"
in person at the following current exhibition: Find more exhibitions at the end of this article. |
Are there any contemporary fine artists who have inspired your work?
Lenore Tawney, Zarina Hashmi, Hannelore Baron and Anne Ryan.
Where do you find sanctuary?
I find sanctuary when I’m fully engaged working in my studio as well as through meditation and going on walks.
Lenore Tawney, Zarina Hashmi, Hannelore Baron and Anne Ryan.
Where do you find sanctuary?
I find sanctuary when I’m fully engaged working in my studio as well as through meditation and going on walks.
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Carole's "Postcards" series continues to exemplify her interest in
celebrating history and exploring delicate weave patterns: |
ONGOING & UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS:
Adorned: Inspired by Fabric and Fashion"
Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center Solomons, MD February 11 - May 8, 2022 "In Praise of Form" Piano Craft Gallery Boston, MA April 1 - 24, 2022 National Association of Women Artists presents: "Historical to Contemporary" Monmouth Museum Lincroft, NJ March 18 - May 15, 2022 |
