Ann Vollum
Ann Vollum is a fiber and mixed media artist who has exhibited extensively in New Jersey as well as internationally in South Korea. Recent exhibitions in New Jersey include venues such as the...
Ann Vollum is a fiber and mixed media artist who has exhibited extensively in New Jersey as well as internationally in South Korea. Recent exhibitions in New Jersey include venues such as the Newark Museum of Art, Heidi Gallery in Livingston, Museum of Early Trades & Crafts in Madison, Art Fair 14C at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, Alfa Art Gallery in New Brunswick, Studio Montclair Gallery, and Noyes Art Garage in Atlantic City. Ann’s work has been featured in various catalogues published by Seoul-Hangang Biennale, Noyes Museum of Art, the New Jersey State Museum, and included in The Language of Making: Visual Voices from the Textile Study Group of New York.
Often playful, childlike, and toy-like, the various fiber sculptures and installations created by Ann Vollum can range from abstract depictions of organic substances to the cerebral nervous system to squids, octopi, and sea urchins. Whether using bright colors or earthy monochromatic representations, the sculptures share a common value of being laced by various loose threads and tentacle-like forms. These works are a rebellious expression against suppression as the sculptures ooze out their internal ‘guts’ to the viewer, conveying an anthropoid aesthetic.
Raised in a strict boarding school in England, Ann developed an imagination around colorful and playful beasts which she refers to as ‘beasties’ drawn from vintage books and medieval imagery. The sculptures and installations are often created out of reclaimed materials such as linen and eco dyed fabric infusing a conservationist mindset with mindfulness towards the environment. Much like the adventures of Peter Pan, the newer works tend to portray the excitement of reliving a childhood, carefree of the responsibilities of adulthood. In particular, the imaginative octopi and sea urchins resemble toys, however constructed in a way which reflects angular distortions. In contrast, Ann’s eco sculptures can come off as morbid by resembling various parts of internal anatomy such as the human brain.
Sea Slug, Barnacle, Coral (pictured above) represents a symbolization rather than a cartoonish toy-like representation despite having the resemblance of a plaything. The bright colors and curvature represent contemporary aesthetics while conveying direct subject matter. Through identity, the piece exemplifies the childhood imagination of what adventuring under the sea entails. Without the title, the sculpture could be mistaken for being extraterrestrial, void of any association from life on earth due to the unusual formations and chosen color schematic.
Ann Vollum identifies innocence through imaginative works which delve deep into the imagination of early life. With vigor and sense of playfulness, most of the works convey a purification towards blameless thoughts and approaches. She advances fiber as a medium which can be shaped and molded into expressions of individuality despite being associated with collective work of past eras. Through fiber she explores the inner nature of self-discovery by infusing past memories and imagination into contemporary forms of dialogue.
