Artist in Residence - Kim Keats - Blue Ridge Mountain's Arts Association

Kim Keats: Wood & Fiber Construction

Artist in Residence Kim Keats presents a body of work that memorializes nature and strives to honor the indigenous origins of the materials used in her statuesque creations.

Artist Reception on August 31st, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm

Artist's Statement: "The objects that I make are intended to honor or memorialize the origin of the materials from which they are made. I primarily use bark, twigs, and wood harvested in a sustainable manner from a variety of highland trees, which grow in Blue Ridge, GA. Harvesting bark and twigs is a considerable part of the overall process and is seasonable and laborious. The bark is manipulated while wet and sewn together with waxed linen thread. Combined interlacing techniques are employed to weave the waxed linen thread onto bark or wooden structures. Palmetto roots are harvested from South Carolina low country trees that have fallen due to coastal erosion. Each root is individually cut, sanded, and randomly woven onto found driftwood branches. Tree imagery is an inextricable part of the form and content in each artwork creation. Influences of a variety of indigenous cultures are reflected in the materials, techniques, and narratives."