Graduate Thesis Exhibition: Arienne Zimmerman

Arienne Zimmerman
Artist Statement

My dad found a hobby in scrapping metal after many years in elevator  construction. His friends bring him odd parts, old appliances, and miscellaneous junk. He disassembles each item carefully, while watching for interesting pieces to save. He then organizes the different materials into a large collection of five-gallon buckets. Before taking trips to the scrap yard, he sets aside the pieces he thinks I may want to add to my collection.  

The act of collecting is an essential part of my process, and an avenue that merges my art and daily life. I acquire materials in many different ways; sometimes they’re given to me, other times I collect them in a way that’s similar to a souvenir from a specific place or experience. I find excitement in the mystery of not knowing what I might find or be given. I also search for items with certain qualities, such as materials that are reflective,  transparent, or have a specific color, form, or shape. I am especially interested in exploring the interactions between materials with a solid, permanent presence and temporary moments, such as reflections, distortions, and light. 

Organization is another critical element in my work. There are several ways that I approach it. Initially, I organize in a way that is similar to how my dad separates  materials into five-gallon buckets. Creating something like an inventory. In my work, I  then experiment with organizing through contrasting relationships of materials. I search  for a delicate balance between dichotomies such as permanence and transience,  heaviness and weightlessness, control and chaos, what is exposed vs. what is hidden.  Not everything is on the surface, and not everything can be easily seen. My assembled  installations parallel my experience of collecting and exploring.

For more on Arienne Zimmerman and her work, please visit https://www.ariennezimmerman.com