In person / Exhibition / Dyeing
Troutbeck is pleased to present in collaboration with Object & Thing, a solo exhibition of fiber-based wall works by New York artist Kiva Motnyk
Motnyk spent time at Troutbeck during the summer months, collecting botanical materials from the property’s extensive gardens and partnering with chef Vincent Gilberti to re-purpose vegetable matter, such as onion skins, from the kitchen in order to make natural dyes for the works. Motnyk is deeply inspired by nature, often titling her pieces after the landscape surrounding her home in the Catskills. She approaches her work as though painting with fabric, often drawing out sketches for her color-blocked panels before beginning her stitching. For Troutbeck, Motnyk has planned a site-specific commission for the library windows, along with a new body of work for the gallery space. The opening events on September 27 will include a public talk and a natural dye workshop led by both Motnyk and longtime collaborator, Susan Cianciolo.
Kiva Motnyk’s current work in textiles reinterprets historical and cultural traditions of making through modernist abstraction and a uniquely attuned sensibility of color. The non-pictorial objects resemble paintings or stained glass, evoking a spiritual experience of the natural landscape. The works are imbued with deep origin stories of the textile’s materiality and personal narrative; each element of the composition speaks to the detailed process by which it was made.