Natalya, what a treat to share your work here at Local! I don’t think we’ve shared anything quite like it. Tell us a bit how you arrived at this format.
It’s a long story, but I’m happy to summarize it - I was a kid in the Soviet Union, which meant I had thrifty upbringing. That was the only way to be. It was only natural that the thriftiness eventually found a way into my art. I enjoy the challenge of creating with the materials on hand, of making do.
Of all the work we’ve had at the shop, this seems to rank up there with level of physical challenge to create each work. How difficult is it?
Not difficult, just time consuming. Or slow, deliberate and meditative.
The vertigo series has captured my interest in a major way. It sort of reminds me of those beautifully crafted Marvel comics with no detail left out - but you create it with a sewing needle! Tell us about the genesis of this series.
That is the first time someone has related my work to Marvel! I am honored. I am one of those New Yorkers who drives, and back before covid, experienced plenty of traffic. Imagine sitting in your car in standstill traffic, caught under the BQE overpass or on the lower level of the GWB or the Queensborough bridge. If you’re me, instead of leaning on the horn, I look up and notice the large trusses, the interlacing beams, the rusty patches, the graffiti tags. That is where this series started.
The graffiti series offers this juxtaposition of small and fun but there’s a lot of them. Where/ How did you start and where did you end with this series?
I’ve had a fascination with graffiti since high school. I went HS of Art and Design on 57th street and had a lot of budding graffiti artists in my classes. This is my take on graffiti, again playing with the make do and use what you have strategy. Letters cut off from plastic packaging and rearranged with lots of stitching. Not sure if I’m done yet, still plenty of words I need to stitch.
Given this current existence and challenges with plastic - how does this material play in your messaging?
Plastic pollution is one of the largest contributors to the climate crisis. With my work I hope to keep at least a small portion of it out of our oceans and alert people to the problem at hand and hopefully inspire some to act on it.
Growing up in Soho/NYC - I was blessed with some of the best local galleries on the world. I can’t help but think this work needs a bigger stage. What’s next for you and this truly unique craft?
I am still looking for that NYC gallery for my work. Know anyone? Meanwhile I am happy to have an opportunity to exhibit my work, I look for opportunities to create site specific installations in public places and I teach my techniques virtually at the moment and hopefully in person in the near future again.
Thank you so much! Anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you for opening up your beautiful space to artists
Visit Natalya’s website here