Emelia (Emmie) Tallman

Name of School
Kent State University

Expected Graduation Date:
05/14/2022

Faculty Nominator
Andrew Kuebeck

Reason for Faculty Nomination
Emmie’s work is concerned with the ways that the environment is impacted by human interaction. Her work explores the environment not only through the use of alternative materials to create larger wearables, but also creates metal and enamel tableaux which try to capture the beauty of our environment and nature before man’s ultimate destruction of it. Her imagery and materials serve as a call to arms about the dangers that man’s interactions with the environment will have for ourselves and for future generations.

Please provide a brief description of your art or medium.
Jewelry and art objects created from metal, enamel, textiles, recycled and found materials. The majority of my work consists of colorful mixed-media wearable pieces that explore the physical and conceptual gap between art and audience.

Is your artwork handmade by you? If not, please explain
In my art practice, I transform by hand all materials used to create thoughtful and unique art pieces. This is done through processes such as etching, forming, and enameling sheet metal, hand dying, carding and felting wool, or collecting, cutting and weaving plastic bags. Each component outside of a few specific found objects is manipulated through the hands-on processes and techniques of Craft.

Are all or some of the components locally sourced?
Outside of the those collected or saved for me by friends and family, the found and recycled materials in my work are locally sourced from the area where I reside.

Artist’s Statement:
The use of non-traditional materials has always been a crucial part of my art practice. Historically, for many artists, the depletion of key natural resources has resulted in the incorporation of recycled materials to continue the creation of both beautiful and useful objects. My work is heavily influenced by the media through which I convey meaning in my art and the concept of one person’s trash becoming another’s treasure. This often results in bright or unusual color palettes and textural variations. Found objects, natural and synthetic, have a way of engaging the viewer in a unique and personal way. My work fosters a connection between our everyday lives by giving meaning and value to the things we might take for granted. It is through creativity and innovation that we are able to continue, therefore we must see every resource as scarce and every material as precious.

How you will use the Fellowship funds if you are chosen as the winner.
I am planning on continuing my higher education in a Fine Art graduate program in the fall of 2022. I have applied to institutions ranging from places like Montana all the way to North Carolina and in between. My plan if awarded this Fellowship is to travel, research, and collect local sources of natural or waste materials that express the geographical or socioeconomic specificities of that region. Overall, the goal would be to create a body of work from these found objects and recyclables that represents the place and history from which they came. Therefore the detailed use of the fellowship funds depends on where exactly I end up for graduate school. The money would also be used to acquire supplies and equipment needed to incorporate those resources into my art practice specifically in jewelry, metals, enameling, and textiles.