2022 Merit Scholarship Recipient: Lily Fridell

Describe the work you submitted for merits.

I submitted mainly fiber art: sculptures, installations, and paintings. These colorful and textural works constitute a body of work that began over a year ago and is now coming to a conclusion. I also included a new mural and sculpture which represent the transitional stage my practice is in right now.

Why did you decide to come to MCAD?

Minneapolis has always been one of my favorite cities, and MCAD's small/intimate class setting and awesome 3D Shop seemed really conducive to my way of learning and what I wanted to accomplish in my time here.

What's next for your practice? Anything you're really excited to make?

I'm going through a phase of transformation in my practice right now. Last semester I made large, extremely tactile and colorful works that came from an intuitive and process-driven way of making. Now, I am leaning into conceptual work, and honing and essentializing my ideas so that every component of a given piece contributes meaning and supports what I am trying to say. My new body of work uses mainly natural materials, especially soil, and is concerned with the issue of impermanence.

You work a lot with installation and space within your work. Can you speak a bit about that?

Interaction with space is one of my favorite parts of installation work, and if you do it right, the effect can be incredible. I'm becoming more and more compelled to create 'correct' usages of space to accentuate and harness all the power of spatial interaction. I'm interested in art that helps people notice things about spaces that they haven't seen or experienced before

Favorite thing about college life (so far)?

My favorite thing about being at school is having so much time to dedicate just to making and thinking about art. It's wonderful to get to make art the main focus of my life and imagine and maybe even construct a life where that is my constant state of being.

What inspires you?

Walking in the woods, touching plants, sharing ideas with people in the studios, writing, making music. I love looking at the work of fiber artists like Sheila Hicks and Judith Scott, and recently I've been thinking a lot about theory around the roles and classifications of craft versus fine art.

Do you have a favorite piece you've made? Describe it!

Pod was the first large sculpture I made at MCAD and will always have a special place in my heart. It is a large cocoon-like structure that hangs from the ceiling and rests on the ground. It was constructed in an intuitive process of making colorful rope from strips of fabric bound together with yarn, which I then sewed together in coils. There are several small peepholes and one large entrance, which lets you sit or stand inside. I made it as a reaction to the loneliness and separation of the pandemic, and it feels like a safe place to hide and feel safe. I always retreat there when I'm feeling stressed, and sitting inside it feels like being wrapped in a big hug.

Anything you're obsessed with at the moment?

In my art practice: dirt! All my current projects involve soil and earthen materials.

In real life: maximalist mismatched earrings! Making little arrangements of jewelry in the morning helps me feel grounded, and it's a fun way to build design practice into my day-to-day life.