Esther Traugot

Statement

I cover objects of nature with crocheted threads in an attempt to “prop up” or “put back” what has been abandoned, broken. As bandage or cozy, these support structures investigate the relationship between nurturing and controlling nature. The meticulous act of crocheting mimics the instinct to nurture and protect what is viable, what is becoming precious. As in gilding, these false “skins” imbue the objects with an assumed desirability or value; the wrapping becomes an act of veneration. Although futile in its attempt at archiving and preservation, it suggests optimism. My interest in the objects extends from the notion of landscape and how we not only experience, but also negotiate with the natural world.

With this series of paintings I explore the idealization of nature with a focus on simulated patterns from cloth fabrics; their repeating patterns of flowers and dots articulate what could be agricultural fields, hills and human forms. To me, they speak both to the natural and simulated world, and the nurture and control of nature.

Esther Traugot Resume.pdf