Loving Something Doomed

Morgan Rose Free

Artist Statement:

An amalgamation of my own romanticization of the natural world and ever-present climate anxiety, Loving Something Doomed attempts all at once to confront our climate crisis, mourn our losses, and create a safe soft place of beauty to escape to. My sculptural painting/weaving hybrids function as an entrance and an exit simultaneously, leading me to refer to them as “portals”. The portals take on a pixelated, screen-like quality, while the slow and laborious process of hand weaving directly contradicts the instant gratification of the internet age. Mingling with found objects, ceramics, and other sculptural elements, these worlds exist just out of reach, as each work holds up a mirror to the transitional moment in which we live, caught between the nostalgia of what was and a seemingly bleak future. With an underlying tone of sardonic reverence, my resulting installations both indulge in and criticize the absurdities of contemporary creature comforts and our inane social and economic systems.

Bio:

Morgan Rose Free is a Canadian artist predominantly working in sculptural assemblage. Her conceptual interests lie in human engagement with the outside world, often grappling with ideas around our current climate crisis, engagement with public spaces (both natural and human made), and how the digital age has affected these relationships. Based in Columbus OH, she is a cofounder of Dream Clinic Project Space and has participated in exhibitions across North America. She has attended residencies at Prairie Ronde, the Vermont Studio Center, Bunker Projects, Terrain Exhibitions at Enos Park, and ACRE Projects and has been awarded grants from The Canada Council for the Arts and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. She received her MFA in Sculpture/Dimensional Studies at Alfred University and her BFA in Fiber from the Alberta College of Art and Design with honors.