Feature: Naomi Falk, creating art from ordinary objects in "A Moment for Now"
From Feb. 7 to March 17, an exhibit by artist Naomi Falk will be on display at the USCA Etherredge Center. The exhibit, “A Moment from Now,” will feature recycled objects which have been transformed into sculptures.
Some of the materials included in Falk’s sculptures are seemingly mundane things like boxes and packaging, bread tags and plastic bags.
According to Falk, “I restricted myself to the stuff that I had and that’s partly because I was collecting this stuff and partly because all of those things are like a record of me still here. I’m still alive, I’m still here even if I’m just in one little place. All of those things are a record of that time and moment.”
Falk created “A Moment from Now” during the pandemic, and many of the pieces are inspired by that timeframe in her life.
“During the pandemic particularly when I was alone in my small apartment, I taught online for a year and so I was always here and didn’t have a studio or any separate space. Every day was so isolated,” said Falk. “So, I was making these little things because it seemed like that’s all I had the space for or maybe the energy for. And I also needed something to entertain myself other than being scared or worried about the pandemic or getting fried from twelve hours’ worth of zoom,” she said
Falk grew up in Michigan and studied sculpture and ceramics at Michigan State University and Portland State University. In 2016, Falk became the Assistant Professor of Sculpture at the University of South Carolina’s School of Visual Art and Design. Falk also creates performance art.
While growing up, Falk hoped to someday become an archaeologist, brain surgeon or meteorologist. Her family’s influence is what lead her to artwork instead.
“I basically grew up around art-making and building and baking and cooking and things with my family,” she said. “My dad actually had an MFA in ceramics and sculpture as well. I was around that stuff all the time.”
Falk’s artwork reframes our relationship as humans to man-made objects. In her work, she aims to analyze our connection to physical space, and she encourages viewer engagement to foster a deeper understanding of our correlation to that space and the objects within it.
“I just sort of say ‘alright, well, what can I do with these things?’ I have a fondness for found objects and materials that have some history to them,” she said. “They belonged to somebody.”
Falk’s advice for an aspiring artist is to not limit yourself to traditional art supplies and techniques.
“You can use any material and nearly any process to make artwork. You don’t need fancy stuff,” she said. “Give yourself permission to tinker, mess around and just do it.”
