Artist Statement
Myra Kooy's
Artist Statement
Experiences, memories, and external inspirations ignite my multidisciplinary art, such as a discarded burlap coffee sack, the shimmering light on a wet leaf, a provocative line from an author, or my friend's full-body laugh. These inspirations can manifest themselves into whole interactive installations, photographs, prints, assemblages, and books. My child-like curiosity is a dance that envelope materials, subject, genre and is the driving force behind my work. I grew up in the 60s, a black child adopted into a Dutch idealist family of three white boys, one black boy, and two black girls. We froze vegetables, canned fruits, milked goats, rebuilt the interior of our home, and my particular job was collecting the eggs. These everyday chores are the foundation for my art practice. They taught me to use tools. When I tiled the floor, I had to look at lines, spaces, joints and watch my brother's problem solve in corners. My childhood introduced me to the multiple uses of materials such as the beautiful burlap curtain that my mother wove for the sliding door, the burlap my father wrapped around the roots of trees, and the burlap sacks of chicken and horse feed. Realizing that there are so many ways to use one material has been a gift. I have developed a passion for engaging with materials in alternative methods other than their original intent.