Photo by Susan Schaefer

High wire act: The unbearable lightness of Kristi Swee Kuder’s woven mesh

In June of 2017, Susan Schaefer published an extensive review of Kristi Swee Kuder’s artistic process with wire mesh. At the time of the interviews for the piece, Swee Kuder was exhibiting her wire sculptures in an exhibition entitled “unravel | unearth” at the Artistry gallery in Bloomington, Minnesota, “a world-class show” she shared with the work of Minneapolis-based artist James Edward Scherbarth.

Ms. Schaeffer writes,

“By the time I met Kuder during our 2016 summer intensive at St. Catherine University Women’s Art Institute (WAI), she seemed a master of this material most individuals think of as keeping the flies from entering our back porch screen doors.

 

“Kuder’s deft hands elevate this humble material to art museum fare. Like many creatives, her departure from working with soft folds of cloth to sharp slivers of wire has its provenance in grappling with life-altering issues.”

Swee Kuder explains her fascination with wire mesh this way:

“I loved that it had transparency, and also how it reflected light. It was delicate but strong, smooth to the touch, but also could draw blood if not handled properly. And it defined space as well as allowed space to flow freely.”

The article contains many more insights and descriptions of Swee Kuder’s artful manipulation of this seemingly common material. Read the full review here: Southwest Journal review by Susan Schaefer