Elise Martin
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Shared Personal Space - Installation and Interaction.
All images are courtesy of the artist. |
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| Elise Martin |
I was born and raised in Metro Detroit and earned my BFA from the College for Creative Studies (2008-2012). Initially, I envisioned a career in painting or illustration, but my interests shifted and I became more engaged with sculpture, installations, and video art. My work often focuses on themes of intimacy, empathy, and care. I'm particularly drawn to soft materials and slow, hand-crafted processes because they naturally embody these themes. When I pursued my master’s degree at WSU (2020-2022), I chose to focus on fiber arts to deepen my understanding of the history and visual language inherent in these materials and techniques. My studio practice is complemented by my work in community arts and art education, which continually informs and enriches my creative work.
Elise - I'm so happy to have this time to chat about your work. Let's jump in!
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What do you love about making art?
I’ve reflected on this quite a bit—what first drew me to art, and what keeps me invested? It’s a combination of factors.
Firstly, I believe that art fosters community through acts of reciprocity. Much of my early art was created as gifts for people close to me, so art and hand-craft are forever tied to those gestures of care in my mind.
Secondly, there’s a rebellious aspect to art-making that I find deeply appealing. Beyond the freedom of expression, the act of creating, repairing, or mending something feels like a rebellion against the capitalist system. Making your own objects can be incredibly empowering, and this sentiment likely stems from my teenage punk rock DIY days. It’s also a reason I continue to teach art—to inspire moments of confidence in my students.
How do you evaluate your work?
It depends on the project. For more intimate works like paintings, textile collages or embroideries, the goal is often straightforward: to capture fleeting moments of connection or joy. I consider these pieces successful if they evoke similar feelings of happiness or nostalgia in others.
When I make large sculptural works or installations, I qualify them a lot differently. With those works, I might want to synthesize an experience and I’m focused on how the form and material will encourage that engagement. These works feel complete and successful only when they’ve been interacted with.
In both cases, I think the relationship between the work and its audience is key to evaluating the project’s success.
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| Child Care Worker- Self Portrait Rocking Toy |
Where is your studio, and what is your primary work area?
Since 2015, I’ve been based at Fortress Studios, an artist-owned space in Detroit’s North End neighborhood. Initially, I came as an artist-in-residence for a year, but I never left.
We’re fortunate to have a metal shop, wood shop, and ceramics studio in the building, which I use as needed. However, my primary workspace is a fibers studio that I’ve set up in a section of my living space. It’s filled with racks of second-hand fabrics and yarns, and it houses my sewing machine and loom. I’m also known to take over our kitchen for basket-making, felting, or botanical dyeing. As I write this in the summer, much of my work has moved to the patio, where I can spread out to weave baskets or set up a small easel to paint watercolors in the open air.
"I use common materials and familiar forms, hoping to make my art accessible to a broad audience, not just those with an art background." - Elise
What clues or questions do you use to select an idea to invest time and resources?
I have a lot of ideas, and my practice can sometimes feel a bit scattered. However, certain nagging ideas will keep resurfacing, or something happens that reminds me of a previously conceived concept. Sometimes, clarity on a concept comes months or even years later, and that’s when I decide to pursue it.
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| Let Me Comfort You- Photo Story |
About your work: what do you hope people notice the most?
I think the themes of my work—empathy, comfort, and care—are universal, so I strive to avoid intellectual barriers. I use common materials and familiar forms, hoping to make my art accessible to a broad audience, not just those with an art background. While it would be impossible to speak to everyone’s lived experience or account for all cultural differences, I try to use a visual language that will be approachable to others.
How do you define success as a creative? How do you hold yourself accountable?
I focus less on the notion of being a “successful artist” and more on the success of individual projects. As a creative, I think you have to embrace the reality that many of your projects, proposals, and concepts might fail. The goal is then to appreciate the successes, learn from them and carry those lessons forward. As I mentioned before, much of my practice is deeply connected to relationships with others, so that naturally pushes me to keep sharing my work.
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| Tactile Memory No.1 |
When do you discuss things with your inner critic?
Constantly!
There was a meme that circulated years ago, and I think about it often. It said something like, “The Creative Process: 1. This is pretty good. 2. This is awesome! 3. This is tricky. 4. This sucks. I suck. 5. This might be okay. 6. This is awesome!” I think that pretty aptly sums up just about every project I’ve ever worked on.
Who are your creative influences, and whose work are you admiring now?
As a child, my first “favorite artists” were Georgia O’Keeffe and Van Gogh; I think I enjoyed their use of color. In my teen years, I was more influenced by the dramatic gestures on punk album covers and the rebellious spirit of illustrators like Ralph Steadman. As an adult, I’m drawn to quieter, more subtle moments of weirdness. Artists like Louise Bourgeois, Kiki Smith, Hans Bellmer, Mike Kelley, and Janine Antoni have greatly influenced my sculptural and installation work. In terms of craft, I look to alot of art history and anthropology for inspiration, but I have a particular fondness for fiber artists linked to (or with lineage out of) the Bauhaus School, such as Gunta Stölzl, Anni Albers, and Ruth Asawa.
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| Tactile Memory No. 4 |
How can people follow you and your work?
You can find me at EliseMarieMartin.com or on Instagram at @Elise.m.art.in. The next opportunity to see my work in person will be at the opening of Womxn House Detroit 2024 on September 28th.
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I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your schedule to talk with me/us, Elise. I'm cheering for you! Come back anytime you have something to share.
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| Use Me - Small Arrangement View |
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Use Me Interaction 1
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