PAST

SOLO EXHIBITION AT 3S ARTSPACE, PORTSMOUTH, NH. OPENING RECEPTION JUNE 16TH, 2023 5-8PM

Natalie Fisk’s exhibit titled; Why am I Here?

Fisk’s work replicates Papel Picado—a traditional form of Mexican folk art with intricate paper perforations—in mediums such as photography, graphite, and painting. Fisk explained that the iterations on a given design help her to process grief and understand how it changes over time.

“It’s about illuminating what grief can look like. I’m creating something that speaks truth to my experience of grief, and similar to life, I make attempts to give grief a shape or home. Once permanence is achieved, I discover that the shape of my grief changes again, and that requires another iteration,” said Fisk.

Fisk said the inspiration for using the symbol of Papel Picado in her work began with her wedding.
“That’s where I began to consider its symbolic nature. I’m Mexican-American/Chicanx, so having Papel Picado at my wedding felt essential. My inherent conviction of this made me curious and I began making iterations of Papel Picado, ” Fisk said.

After experiencing a miscarriage in 2017, Fisk said the symbol became saturated with grief. “I began to wonder what was essential about life. I also began to see Papel Picado not only as a symbol of joy, but as a symbol that requires sacrifice: parts need to be cut out in order to express the fullness of its beauty,” said Fisk. “I began to engage with grief and joy in a real way. This practice has since become the foundation of my perception of life and art.”

Natalie Fisk is teaching two art workshops while her work is on view in the Gallery: Mexican Paper Flower Making on Sunday, July 2nd at 9am, and a Papel Picado Making on Saturday, July 22nd at 1pm. Each workshop is $75 per person, which includes registration and all materials needed. Exhibits at 3S are always free and open to the public, and can also be viewed virtually at galleryat3s.org. Through the unique lens of contemporary arts experiences, 3S Artspace invites divergent perspectives and encourages lively discourse centered around issues of today.

Biography

Natalie Fisk is a Mexican American (Chicanx) artist living and working in the Hudson Valley. She is an alumna of Pacific Northwest College of Art, the Vermont Studio Center Residency, and the Trestle Gallery Residency in Brooklyn. She received collegiate scholarships or grants from the San Francisco Art Institute, PNCA, The Vermont Studio Center, and the Anderson Ranch Art Center. Originally from North County San Diego, Fisk has shown work in various cities on the West Coast before heading east post graduation. Her work has been commissioned from companies such as Rudyʼs Barbershops, PNCA, Ace Hotel NYC, and Hersha Hospitality. Fisk was a member of the art collective Gowanus Swim Society from 2013 until its dissolution in April of 2020. She curated the creative programming for NU Hotel Brooklyn from 2015 - 2019, including its partnership with Brooklyn Museum. Fisk has been showing her work nationally for over 15 years and her curation has been mentioned in the New York Times, Hyperallergic, and Bushwick Daily.

SOLO EXHIBITION AT THE ARTS SOCIETY OF KINGSTON, UPSTATE NY. RECEPTION MARCH 5TH, 2022.

Natalie Fisk is a Mexican American artist living and working in the Hudson Valley. She received her BFA from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2011, has attended the Vermont Studio Center Residency, and has been showing her work nationally for over 15 years. Her curation has been mentioned in the New York Times, Hyperallergic, and Bushwick Daily.

Fisk makes sculptures, drawings, and paintings that utilize the symbol of Papel Picado to draw attention to the experiences that have marked her life. Papel Picado, a decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper, are used for joyous celebrations but carry an inherent violence because of the cutting or carving required for their creation. This metaphor allows Fisk to engage in various personal dialogues; about the grief she feels over the self erasure of her culture required to exist within white spaces, the loss of a pregnancy, and loss of identity due to perfection anxiety.

The works begin as a set of loose drawings with a plea to the viewer to stop and listen. From there stencils are made that are then used to create Papel Picado. This is then photographed with the intention of pulling darkness into the frame through the use of shadow. From these photos mixed media drawings, watercolors, and acrylic paintings are created. Each material provides a unique perspective into a subconscious reckoning between how to celebrate joy within grief.

This Exhibition was created over a period of 12 Months from March 2021 to February 2022. It contains 21 works of art with 7 preliminary drawings, 7 watercolors, and 7 acrylic paintings. Each iteration is inquisitive with the goal of understanding how various forms of mark making affect the final emotive quality of each work.

This exhibition is the first of several bodies of work for Fisk, who intends to begin the secondary progression of this series in the Fall of 2022.

Image: The Jaws. Stop, Listen. Acrylic on Canvas, 13x15", 2022