One thing is certain about the art business: There are more artists making more art than ever. Where is it all of that art ending up? Where will it be in 5, 10, or 30 years?
Knowing that not all art will be or should be preserved forever, I have become increasingly aware that the materials many artists are using in their work are harmful to our environment. (I know … I’m pretty slow to the party.)
Maybe not in the short term, but what happens to the works or the scraps from their making in the future?
My guest for this episode of The Art Biz has taken this concern to heart and completely changed how she makes work.
Kelly M. O’Brien grows and uses biomaterials for her sculpture.
In this fascinating conversation, we discuss:
- What biomaterials are and how they show up in Kelly’s new work.
- The aesthetics of biomaterials.
- Why Kelly isn’t concerned about the work lasting forever.
- What you can do to incorporate more sustainable sources in your work.
We also discuss Kelly’s recent solo exhibition and why community interaction is a key piece of her exhibitions, and how she funds her non-commercial practice.
[ For some background, listen to my earlier interview with Kelly: Returning to Grad School for an MFA]
Listen
Scroll down to watch the video interview.
Highlights with Audio Timestamps
02:02 Kelly makes a big move from the UK to Upstate New York
04:03 The shift to sustainable art practices
05:51 Understanding biomaterials
09:27 Kelly’s recent solo exhibition
15:36 The role of research in Kelly’s approach to her art
18:25 Exploring the potential of biomaterials
24:50 Public programs and community engagement [ See Multiply Your Audience and Expand Your Show’s Impact with Jill Powers ]
26:11 The Reading Circle and Mend & Tend for the exhibition
27:45 The importance of connection
30:38 Building a network as an introvert
32:57 Maintaining overseas connections
36:59 Challenges of biomaterials in art
41:38 Resources for artists interested in exploring biomaterials
43:07 Kelly’s upcoming projects
Mentioned
- Byrdcliffe Artist Residency Program
- Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
- The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry (publication also of the same name)
- When I Am Among the Trees read by Mary Oliver
The Material Way (the course Kelly took in 2023 to expand her biomaterials palette—it has since evolved)
TU Delft in the Netherlands (the academic research on mycelium for making)
- Materiom
- Bioplastic Cook Book by Margaret Dunne
- Dezeen
Kelly M. O'Brien Quotes
“I am very driven by wanting to do less harm to the environment and to myself.”
“It’s the immersion in the woodlands and in nature that really held me together. And it was the beginning of a spell against despair.”
“I spent so much time outside during the pandemic and felt very cared for. A lot of solace in that.”
“I had to look outside of fine art to see who was making things that are enduring and working.”
“I’m interested in connecting the dots between paying attention to something and falling in love with it and wanting to take care of it.”
“I don’t feel like we can just sit back. It feels to me really urgent that we take whatever our superpower is and use it.”
Related Episodes
These episodes center around the artists’ studio practices.
About My Guest
Kelly M O’Brien is a mixed media artist with two strands to her practice: contemporary fine art sculpture and a commercial line that serves the hospitality art industry. After living overseas for 12 years, she recently returned to the US to settle in the Hudson Valley, New York.
Kelly completed an MFA in 2019 and received the Royal Society of Sculptors Gilbert Bayes Award for high-potential sculptors in 2023. She exhibits her work in the US and UK, and her commercial work is in corporate and hospitality projects worldwide.
Follow Kelly on Instagram: @kellyobrienart
2 thoughts on “Using Her Superpower and Biomaterials with Kelly M. O’Brien (ep. 196)”
This episode with Kelly O’Brien was terrific! Alyson brings out the best in all her guests. Kelly’s thoughtful exploration of biomaterials is inspiring, as are the ways she created innovative programming to support her exhibition. Lots to think about here.
Thanks for listening, Eve. LMK if you do something with this.