Bethany Strohm
MA ’22 Art Education
My baskets are based on mathematical rules but organic in form. By using a triaxial weave called the “mad weave,” I can work intuitively within a structure of strict rules. This particular weave lends itself to trilateral symmetry and soft angles. The forms are near life but not alive, more like tumors or organs than bodies themselves, referencing living matter in color and form while resisting any specific taxonomy. For materials, I forage from past decades of paintings and monoprints that grow like weeds in the corners of my studio. I deconstruct these older works and re-form them into vessel-paintings. By collaborating with my past self, I explore the accumulation of materials created by the informal and institutional practices of learning to be a maker.
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Bethany Strohm is a Boston-based fiber artist and educator. Her sculptures combine organic and geometric forms through the language of basketry, weaving together math, intuition, and humor. She has a BFA in Painting and a M.Ed from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She serves as Program Manager for MassArt’s Artward Bound program.
