Tapp’s is thrilled to announce that it’s next Artist in Residence will be up-cycling the art center in May! Over the next three month’s local artist Flavia Lovatelli will be organizing and facilitating an exhibition and public event series as Tapp’s Arts Center’s Artist in Residence.
Having worked extensively in the Columbia BedRoll Project and ecoFAB Trash Couture, Lovatelli has built a strong career in up-cycling detritus into beautiful compositions, sculptures and wearable art. Focused on combating the ‘throw-away’ culture developed in contemporary society, Lovatelli explains,
“I have been finding that my path has steered into how to recycle plastic, how to make it look absolutely fascinating and inspire people to be more conscious of our actions. While working on the Bedroll Project, I came to find out that plastic bags are cut and turned into Plarn (plastic yarn). For my residency, I would like to involve the public by inviting them into this continuing project. The public can recycle all their clear and white plastic bags as well as clear, white, and styrofoam cups by bringing them into Tapp’s.
During my residency I would like to work on collecting, cutting and designing the various pieces that will be used to build a large ocean reef. I am building this sculpture as a poignant allegory of the damaging results of plastic in nature.”
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About the Artist:
Art is the unspoken language, that which moves us, connects us, breaks the borders and unites us. I try to create work that evoke emotions at the sensory level, fascination, perplexity, confusion, doubt, and the intense desire to touch it, feel the textures, densities, temperatures.
Being a mixed culture child, I can’t trace the roots of my passion, I was born a recycler, passionate for sustainability and accountability of our actions, I salvaged and recycled what I could and loved to reinvent it. I have learned that art is not necessarily associated with technical skills, but the passion you bring forth to your work. I am a tactile artist, have always been driven to dimensional work, fascinated by art that includes random found objects injected into it with purpose. My work is spontaneous, being a sustainable artist I have collected, with the aide of my community, a great amount of scraps and salvaged objects. I realize I have been drawn to a specific texture, shape and color. Verging on earthy tones, soft and inconspicuous. The act of salvaging is a drawn out game of patience; find that which appeals to you and wait to collect enough to create something meaningful.
The purpose of my work is to create reactions; therefore, the viewers’ interpretation is what helps to complete my artwork. The measure of a successful piece of work is derived from the viewer’s reaction, (most of all the desire to touch it), the ability to comprehend the complexity and intricacy of the finished product and the basic pleasure my work brings to the viewer.
About Tapp’s Arts Center and the Tapp’s Initiative:The Tapp’s Initiative was developed to bring contemporary art production, practice and community engagement to the Columbia/Midlands area. Each resident has full access to their own studio space for four months. Throughout this time, the resident artist will realize a site-specific project, and invite the public to discuss and interact with the contemporary artwork during several open-gallery events. The interactive aspect of the Tapp’s Initiative furthers an understanding of contemporary art, modes of practice, and how visual language functions in ‘building’ culture, both locally and abroad.
Tapp’s Arts Center is giant artistic laboratory focused on community engagement. We encourage artistic agency through exhibitions, cultural events, workshops, classes, and studios to help Columbia create, learn and grow.