Andrea Myers
Andrea Myers is an Ohio based multidisciplinary artist. She received her BFA in Printmedia in 2002 and her MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of Art Institute of Chicago in 2006. Andrea uses found, donated, and repurposed fabrics in her work to create gestural and shifting compositions. Her use of repurposed materials reference the history of the fabric and collection site, and they convey a sense of stitched community and renewal in her work. Andrea has exhibited across the country and participated in several residency programs. Here she speaks about her work and journey as an artist.
Machine Sewn Installation (left)
Kaleidoscope Eyes (right)
How did your creative journey begin?
As long as I can remember, I have been visually engaged with the world and attracted to tactility. I played outside a lot growing up and also my mom sewed when I was young and I would take frequent trips with her to fabric stores. I was never very interested in the construction and “functional” aspects of sewing but more interested in the colors and textures of the materiality of sewing. I have always been drawing and keep an active sketchbook to help harness ideas.
What inspires your work?
My inspiration feels holistic and open-it can come from everywhere and anywhere and it does. From small moments in the everyday landscape to larger panoramas of the sky, I funnel my perceptions into abstract outcomes. The materials in my work also drive the forms and patterning
Kaleidoscope Eye I
Kaleidoscope Eyes
Machine Sewn Installation (left)
Criss Cross Rock Walk (right), 30 x 30”
Tidal, 85 x 126”
Can you describe your process?
My process is woven between calculation and improvisation. Many times, I start with a sketch of a composition and see where that takes me. Other times, I begin by playing around with materials and fabric combinations, cutting, sewing, cutting again and sewing back together. It is very much from a place of collage and assemblage. I enjoy the slow accumulation of striations of color that amass into color field moments.
How has your work evolved over time?
I am at a point in my career where I can look back 20 years from when I received my BFA and notice how my work has evolved and how some through lines in my work have stayed with me. My work has grown larger in scale and immersive over time. Through working and all the learning curves, I have also gained trust and self compassion in my work to know that when I feel stuck or challenged by a piece that I can work through those feelings. There is a level of persistence and dedication that develops over the course of one’s artistic path.
What does a typical creative day look like for you?
My days are never really the same but recently I switched to being an artist full time after teaching at various colleges and universities for the last ten years. My creative time is split between working on private and public commissions and creating new bodies of work for galleries and art consultants. Last December, we had an exterior studio building built behind our house and that has been an amazing investment in my practice. I have maintained a home studio for a long time and was outgrowing the bedroom studio in our house. I feel that artists never really have enough space but for now, I am thrilled to have a large wall in order to create large scale works or work on multiple pieces at one time and be able to see how they interact with one another.
Do you have any words of wisdom for other artists and creatives?
I would say some of the best words of advice I have heard is through the context of yoga. One would be: “stay on your mat”-meaning don’t compare yourself to what others can do or are doing- there’s also a great quote that “comparison is the death of joy”. To those points, remember that one’s art practice is such an individualized path that varies from artist to artist and a lot of it is forging and making new directions for yourself that you might not have anticipated. To that extent I would also say to trust the process.
Cloud Gazing, 36 x 36”
Andrea Meyers, Artist
