sculpture | Martha Donovan Opdahl

“Art from the Heartland,” 2012, Best of 3D Award, Indianapolis Art Center

May 4, 2012

I submitted 2 recent sculptures to the 2012 “Art from the Heartland” show at the Indianapolis Art Center. It is a biennial exhibition showcasing the work of artists from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

This year the show was curated by Paula Katz, Director and Curator of the Herron Galleries at the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. She awarded Best of Show, Best of 3D, Best of 2D, and 5 honorable mentions. I won the Best of 3D award for “Black and Blue #2” and “Black and Blue #3.”

Since 2011, I’ve been making 3D constructions of natural rubber–a radical departure from three decades of 2D fiber artwork–using fiber processes such as piecing and hand-stitching. I bind together my sculptures using a basic textile technique: a hand-sewn straight stitch. The form of my rubber constructions develops from the process.

This work is surprisingly organic and soft compared to the hard-edged aesthetic of earlier work. I’m excited about the new direction my work is taking and curious as to where it will lead.