Student Showcase: Celeste Nelson
THIRD-YEAR, B.F.A. PRINTMAKING
INTERVIEWED BY RACHAEL RAMCHAND | PORTRAIT BY JAZMIN SAUNDERS
What sparked your interest in printmaking and multimedia?
During my first year at SCAD, I wanted to major in animation. One fateful day though, a drawing professor of mine brought our class to check out the printmaking studio. At the time, I didn’t even know what printmaking was, but I was incredibly intrigued by it all so I ended taking an introductory elective to learn more about it. By the time I was done with the class, I had fallen in love with all the different techniques that come with the craft and switched my major to printmaking.
Who are your biggest influences?
Kasie Campbell, a Canadian-based artist, works with fibers to make these amazing sculptures and has been a recent influence. I’m also really into Kit Davey who makes artist books by collaging found imagery from flea markets and thrift stores. Other than them, I am constantly impressed and inspired by my classmates who are always making incredible things. I always enjoy Open Studio Night where I’m able to discover other artists as well.
Is your art representational?
My work explores the relationship between comfort and dysfunction. By using found objects I can create personal and complex soft sculptures that sparks a mix of emotions. My dream project at the moment is to create a monstrously large stuffed animal, one that’s at least 10 feet tall whether that be with found objects or from scratch.
What is the biggest thing you’ve taken away from SCAD?
You’ll only get out what you put in. You have to work hard to grow and coasting along will only get you so far. Putting in the hours, outside and inside of class, is what’s going to make you stand out. The best advice I’ve gotten is from my printmaking professor, Robert Brown. He introduced me to the saying that “it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master something.” I learned from the process even if a project I spent hours on didn’t come out how I wanted.
What is your process when creating your art?
When I’m creating one of my collaged sculptures, it starts with a thrift store and picking out the strangest stuffed animals. At home, I rip them apart and put different legs and heads onto bodies. Within that process, the vision for what I want presents itself; in the end, it’s all just about creating intuitively. I really enjoy sewing and working with fabric because it’s all very forgiving. If it doesn’t look how I want it to, I can just rip it off and try something else. Recently, I’ve bridged the gap between my sculpture and printmaking projects by printing onto fabric and creating something from scratch.
