Book on a Wall
"Book on a Wall" is an iterative and site-specific installation delving into artist Natalie Kauffman’s childhood memories of living with her father, who was committed to living an alternative lifestyle in the 1970s. Through interdisciplinary drawing, painting, mixed media, and sculptural elements, Kauffman explores themes of the lived experience of being a child exposed to communal living, anti-establishmentarianism, self-expression, free love and mind-altering substances. Her autobiographical work explores narrative and storytelling through artistic forms and processes. Using sustainable and existing found materials and objects, her research uses mark-making, visual storytelling and memory as foundational inspiration for autobiographical story-telling through art. It has been described as though one feels like they are walking into the artist’s sketchbook. It is very much like that; an act of becoming, of working through ideas and concepts based on lived experience from childhood.
"It [my childhood] made me a very open person." Hear more about Natalie's "Book on a Wall" here.
An essential aspect of this exhibit is a participatory aspect for people to engage in art-making and processes that can stimulate their points of access to personal stories and memories. This is designed to explore, release and share memory in a collective space through creative outputs. In a recent iteration of this project at the Arnprior & District Museum, there was a public artist talk and a community-engaged workshop highlighting the studio research process and creative inquiry, along with an artist residency where Natalie worked on new pieces and engaged with community members visiting the museum.
