Today we’d like to introduce you to Ingrid Spangler.
Hi Ingrid, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always enjoyed making something out of something else, and during the pandemic I began exploring torn paper collage using discarded book materials. Posting my results on Instagram and Facebook, people started asking where they could buy my art, and I opened my Etsy shop soon after. In the last 5 years or so I’ve had my work shown in numerous galleries, group shows and art festivals in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some people object to my choice of materials, they feel that books should be read, not torn up. My response is that i only use books that are destined for a landfill; outdated reference books are a good example as they cannot be donated as the material is no longer correct/relevant.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In the history of art, domestic handicrafts have been viewed as women’s work and not considered fine art. Repurposing books and sewing patterns into fine art collages directly gestures to the tradition of resilient women using available yet often inadequate resources and managing to make do; limiting my materials allows me to tap into this creative tradition and not only make do, but make art.
Occupying the area between fine art and craft, like many women before me, I create vibrant, lasting pieces using only discarded materials, thus exploring the intersection of creativity and repurposing materials in my art. I source old and damaged books with colorful illustrations from library sales and thrift stores and turn them into meticulously assembled fine art collages. The collages I create examine the added dimensions of meaning in the materials I use for my art, as well as adding a more deeply layered dynamic to my work for many people. Whenever possible, I use book covers as the surface for my collages, providing them with a colorful and characterful background. My work with vintage sewing patterns involves re-forming the iconic black cutting lines of the home-made clothing of my childhood into shapes both abstract and representational, again adding another potential layer of connection for the viewer.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Many people look at my art and think I paint, but every little detail is a torn piece of paper.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ingridspangler.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingridspangler/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IngridSpanglerBookish
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingridspangler/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ingridspangler
