Artist Statement

Joy Muller-McCoola

We call this planet earth and yet the planet has a higher percentage of water than land. Our bodies are connected to the earth through our shared water and our eventual feeding of the earth. Whatever the form or surface it is all changing seasonally, yearly, and through deep time. Our environment, mainly water, is foremost in my mind. Water is our life source but can also be a source of destruction. Flooding, changing coastlines, aridification, soil degradation and contamination are exacerbated by climate change. Environmental concerns and issues related to our natural world inform my work. My viewpoint is often from on high noting topography, water flow and natural movement. 

Sheep wool is a sustainable material and has been used in the ancient craft of wet felting for over 9,000 years. Sheared wool, soap and water, manually agitated, forms felt. The tactile, rhythmic practice of using wool to simultaneously create surface and 3-dimensional form is what draws me to this sustainable medium. Manipulating wool using only water and soap there is no intermediary tool in this transformation. Sourcing wool in both its raw form and washed combed forms are both extensions of my practice.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Joy Muller-McCoola