Claire Millett Lima
MEDIUM: Mixed media sculpture, collage
STUDIO LOCATION: LL-10
WEBSITE: clairemillettlima.com
INSTAGRAM: @clairemillettlimaart
My sculptures challenge the human tendency to categorize ruderal plants as ‘weeds’ and ‘invasives,’ to be eradicated by complicating perceptions and broadening connections to place and community. These warrior plants regenerate in inhospitable soils disturbed by human activity, as well as provide food and medicine.
My artmaking is an act of befriending the places these plants grow… along roadways, under power lines, and around construction sites. After harvesting, I felt, weave, or wrap the plants in various fibrous materials. What emerges are lavish, harmonious forms, their surfaces alive with texture and metallic embellishments which serve to counteract negative judgements and celebrate the importance of placemaking.
“Starman"
staghorn sumac, oriental bittersweet vine, common reed, low bush blueberry, embroidery floss
"Places Overlooked figures 1, 2 and 3”
common reed, wild urban grasses, staghorn sumac, sweet gum tree pods, japanese knotweed, sheeps wool, yarn, synthetic fibers, copper and steel wire
“Universal Terrain”
japanese knotweed, sheeps wool, low bush blueberry, yarn, synthetic fiber, copper and steel wire