Lives and works in Mendota Heights, Minneapolis
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My work redefines aging fiber artifacts — horse fly nets, fishing nets and similar vernacular forms — through needle-weaving and knotting. Their worn imperfections are integrated into the new and the transformation becomes part of a continued narrative. Absent their true histories, I imbue them with my own, their movement informed by the familial moments and unexpected associations that their previous lives evoke. Stripped of functional purpose, these once three-dimensional nets lay flat. By giving them new volume, I honor the revolving intersections of past and present.
Artist Biography
Minnesota artist Amy Usdin reclaims vintage fiber nets as armatures for sculptures that speak to memory, nostalgia and the meaning of objects. She exhibits locally and nationally with recent recognition including a 2020 Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the 2019 Surface Design Award from the Surface Design Association’s International Exhibition in Print.
amyusdin.com