Do the things we own and places we live give clues to who we are? Artists have used clothing, objects and setting in portraits to convey the prestige of the sitter throughout history. Artist Kristin Skees makes use of this tradition in her photographs from the Cozy series. The figures in each portrait stand or sit in an environment that is important to them: a place that they feel at home. Objects (and sometimes pets) surround them and define them. Expecting mother Kathleen loves her vegetable garden. Brett and Mindi, a very stylish couple, enjoy an equally chic evening cocktail. But of course, we don’t really know them. We can’t see their faces or know their identities because the artist “cozied” them. Like the coverings made to keep teapots warm, the cozies envelope the wearers, leaving only legs and feet exposed. Skees knits them herself especially for each sitter. The colors, pattern and embellishments allude to the figures inside, but obscure them as well. Are they comforted or smothered? This tension is at the heart of each piece. Like the cozies, at what point do our comfort zones change from snug and secure to binding and oppressive?
Kristin Smith Skees was raised in Birmingham, Alabama. She has a BFA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a MFA from the University of Arizona, and a MLIS from the University of Alabama. She works in a variety of media, including digital photography, experimental fibers, digital video and installation, and shows her work nationally and internationally. Kristin Skees teaches in the Department of Fine Art and Art History at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
Virginia MOCA would like to thank the artist and Mayer Fine Art Gallery for their help in realizing this exhibition.
MEET THE ARTIST!
Oct 25 | Cozy Up with Kristin Skees- MOCA members only
Dec 6 | HouseWEARS: A Master Class with Kristin Skees
Media:
Exhibition Files:
MOCA Audio Tour Files:
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