Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Von Mertens.
Anna, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve wanted to be an artist since the first grade. I studied visual arts in college, but it was in my final year when it all clicked into place. I made a traditional patchwork quilt on a whim (it was two-dollar dress day at the Salvation Army which provided the fabric for my project) and the experience of using those materials, thinking about how the context and history of quilt making could shape and form my work…I was hooked. The intimacy of the medium, and the ability for an object to carry a story forward felt like the best way to support my conceptual practice.
Whether taking the form of drawing or sewing, as I invest time in the work, building the work line by line, stitch by stitch, meaning builds from there.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I seek out systems of knowledge that provide an avenue to help us understand the world around us. I have mapped the stars over violent moments in American history and stitched the tree ring growth patterns of ancient trees during the fall of the Roman empire. In recent work I have looked at emojis, a system of meaning we are actively shaping collectively and individually. By carefully hand-drawing a text chain between two people a different kind of meaning surfaces underneath the slickness of our screens.
For my current project at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute I am celebrating the group of all women “computers” at the turn of the 19th century who analyzed glass plate photographs of the night sky and made foundational astronomical discoveries.
I enjoy navigating these territories, both contemporary and historical, to see what connections can be made, how individual voices surface and how we build meaning as a whole.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
I love being alone in my studio! My studio in Harrisville in the central historic mill building (a connection of textiles over the centuries!) is a joy to be in. That said, conversations between artists are important. Seeing as much work as you can (Boston has so many great institutions for outstanding exhibitions) or a road trip to Mass MoCA or NYC is a great way to get inspired and engage with ideas. I recommend just connecting with what you love, whatever piques your interest. Conversations can happen just telling friends and fellow makers what you are up to, but conversations can happen reaching out to artists wherever they might live. Ideas and passions will always bring us together.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My work will be part of exhibitions at Wayne State University and San Juan Island National Historic Park, but locally in New England my exhibition at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute will open November 8th and run November 9th, 2018 through January 19, 2019
Contact Info:
- Website: www.annavonmertens.com
Image Credit:
Annie Card (photo of me with emoji drawings and two installation shots of emoji drawings) Don Tuttle (any individual stitched works and details) Dan Kvitka (installation shot of four black stitched works).
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