Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirsten Angerbauer.
Kirsten, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I am a multimedia artist and designer who works with digital fabrication processes, video, sound, and installation to create sculptural and performance-based work. My first interlude into design and fabrication was through chairs. I became obsessed with the ideas that chairs presented; the possibilities of chairs, their various forms and their function in space. While pursuing my sculpture degree from UNT, I worked as a technician in the Fab Lab. This allowed me to explore the possibilities of computer aided machining. These tools altered my process and outlook on sculpture immensely; I was able to prototype, create multiples and patterns, and design interlocking parts and modular forms.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My sculptural work revolves around modular design using digitally fabricated elements combined with traditional analog techniques. I question where the hand of the artist lies and what defines the artists tools. I enjoy making things that can be taken apart into smaller components; parts that comprise a whole. My work speaks to the functions of spaces, how perception of a space can be altered through design, and the split between fine art and design practices.
Currently, I am in the final stages of my first public art project entitled gardenblock, which is an outdoor corten steel sculpture-pavilion. Inspired by the UNT Community Garden space, the goal of gardenblock is to represent sustainability within culture and the arts, and to become a gathering space for interdisciplinary creativity. This corten steel cube is pierced with a vegetal pattern with cut openings that allow viewers to go inside the structure and experience the space. My goal is for this work to act as a gathering place for artists, musicians, and creatives. gardenblock traverses the boundaries between fine art, design, horticulture, and sustainability.
In addition to this public project, my recent work has dealt with performance, video, and sound-based processes to capture actions and ideas in a time-based medium. My performances reference suppressed childhood memories, abstracting them through time, body, and material. I experiment with processes of bondage and release that result in moments of catharsis; these performances are captured on video and realized in both installations and screenings.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
The biggest challenge facing artists today is lack of respect due to an incongruous system of art platforms. For example, I appreciate the accessibility that social media gives to artists, however I think that this same platform shortens the attention span of viewers and makes it harder for artists to be taken seriously in a world of instant gratification. Additionally, access to gallery spaces for artists is limited and elitist in nature; opportunities for shows and funding are at a disconnect from the needs of the artists.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
If you find yourself in Denton, TX, gardenblock can be visited at any time. Have a seat on one of the cedar benches surrounding the sculpture and enjoy the space. gardenblock will be on display long-term on the east lawn of the General Academic Building on UNT campus. My full body of work can be seen on my website, www.kirstenangerbauer.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kirstenangerbauer.com
- Phone: 940-206-4880
- Email: kirstenangerbauer@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.angerbauer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirsten.angerbauer
Image Credit:
Kirsten Angerbauer
Zuyva Sevilla
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