Prior to honing in on yarn as a primary medium, I would go on vision quests at both Michaels and JOANN to make my work. Making my own language from materials sourced from American craft stores became foundational to my studio practice in graduate school. I am an iconoclast and tend to embrace things that others reject and view dismissal as a potent site to dig in. Feminist art and feminism was also super unpopular. Simultaneously across the country, craft was on its last legs and schools were removing any association to it. When I was completing my undergraduate studies, I was not aware that there was a fine arts store in Dallas until the second semester of my senior year. I will totally go shopping with you! I primarily source my materials from both of those stores, as well as a few specialty yarn shops. This fantasy shopping trip aside, can you share a bit about how you came to invest in this particular media palette? I wanted to see what attracted your eye or inspired you. When I started exploring your work, crafted out of so much amazing yarn, embroidery floss, fabric, and even decorative plastic trinkets and repurposed food items, I immediately wanted to invite you to go shopping at JOANN or Michaels. in the Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium. In advance of that event, he shared insights into his process and motivations. In addition to his work throughout the semester with undergraduate and graduate students, Chandler will discuss the trajectory of his work exploring ecology, community, gender, and queer iconography through the mediums of crochet, embroidery, drawing, and cake during an artist talk on Thursday, March 23, at 5:15 p.m. ![]() ![]() Chandler takes similar care with his approach to pedagogy, fostering an environment that allows students to be open and vulnerable together. ![]() What begins as black magic marker drawings on computer paper evolves through skeins of brightly colored yarn into a welcoming and all-encompassing experience. While the task of conceiving and executing such large-scale works by hand is remarkable, his practice is mainly rooted in the everyday tools available at American craft stores. To step into recent installations created by Wells Chandler is to find oneself surrounded by an entire world of vibrant characters crocheted by the artist, their energy animating the space in wonderful ways.
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