These images are of a piece I made in 2015, for my solo show Mnemosyne at Paradigm Gallery + Studio in Philadelphia (www.paradigmarts.org). The title is "Inevitable Canyon" and the medium is hand-crocheted cotton string, glue, and a little bit of wire. I think it stood something like 12" or 13" tall. It ruminates on the eventual loss of anything/everything you love, and how the ephemeral nature of that undeniable aspect of loving something or someone can sometimes usurp the experience of actually enjoying their immediate presence, from time to time. It's a thing that I struggle with, so I made this very depressing simulacrum of my cat, Canyon. (Photographs by Jason Chen.) Caitlin McCormack (b. 1988, Plainfield NJ) is a Philadelphia-based fiber artist, sculptor, and art educator. Born and raised in rural New Jersey, her formative experiences of time spent alone in the woods collecting various fungi and osteological specimens, as well as hunting for plants to use in dye experiments, are resonant in her practice to this day. Her crocheted cotton thread sculptures, informed by these childhood curiosities, are dredged in glues and foraged pigments and are shaped into a variety of forms. McCormack received a BFA from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2010, and has studied under master ceramicist Marguerita Hagan since
2019. McCormack’s works have been displayed across the US and internationally in solo and group exhibitions at The Mütter Museum, The Taubman Museum of Art, Mesa Contemporary Art Museum, Museum Rijswijk, Rhodes Contemporary, Hashimoto Contemporary, The Fort Wayne Museum of Art, and SPRING/BREAK Art Show in NYC. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including Juxtapoz, Hyperallergic, Smithsonian, The Guardian, Fiber Art Now, and Bust Magazine. In addition, her sculptures were the subject of an interview with Jim Cotter for Articulate on PBS. McCormack has held teaching positions at Hussian College of Art and Design and The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, both of which are located in Philadelphia. She was the recipient of a Joseph Robert Foundation grant in 2020. |