{"title":"Ellie Richards","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eWork and play are generally perceived as opposites, my position as an artist is to showcase the relationship as congruous. A similar mental state can be assumed when both activities occur and, at times, I have found them to be inseparable in my own art practice. Given this synchronicity, I interweave woodworking, painterly surfaces, and manipulated found objects to present the relationship in the form of bespoke functional objects, sculpture, and installation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eChores, playtime, boredom, busyness, work; I use the cultural phenomena behind these topics to provide a familiar way to subvert expectation and establish new ways of perceiving the known, the repetitive, the banal. The specificity of these behaviors and their associative material language carries a layered narrative in it’s historic and sociographic origin, this encyclopedic source serves as a foundation for interpretation. I invest time studying tools and toys from eras present and past; I look closely at domestic spaces, abandoned buildings, construction sites, and the merging grounds where indoor becomes outdoor. I notice cycles of maintenance, the recourse from chaos to order, and the intricacies of the mundane. These observations and experiences serve as an initial prompt in how I communicate new messages through furniture, assemblage, installation, and sculpture, this time, encoded with the psychological intersections of seriousness and spontaneity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eMaking work within the fields of sculpture and furniture has expanded my perspective on how a person’s interaction with both natural and built spaces can be a potent indicator of societal and cultural identities. Craft can be a powerful vehicle for sharing culture and accessing otherwise tacit values. Absorbing these characteristics allows sculptural objects to extend a common language that paves the way for a shared experience. I believe shared experiences lead to strong connections and greater empathy among us. With this in mind, I hope to activitate inquiry in the individual that leads to a more meaningful relationship with their environment and it’s extensions. — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ellie-richards.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Ellie Richards\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eEllie Richards\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0411\/4487\/7221\/collections\/Ellie_Richards_06.jpg?v=1597078382","url":"https:\/\/museum-for-art-in-wood.myshopify.com\/es\/collections\/ellie-richards.oembed","provider":"Museum for Art in Wood","version":"1.0","type":"link"}