International House Philadelphia: Program Guide Fall 2013 | Page 4

A RT I ST S P O T L I G H T
We are proud to present local artist Aubrie Costello’s solo-show titled Silk Graffiti on show from October 7 – December 31, 2013 in IHP’s East Alcove. Silk Graffiti is a one-of-a-kind, site-specific fiber installation. With Silk Graffiti, Aubrie intuitively responds to the environment which the work is being created for and ultimately housed in, pairing particular places with thought-provoking text to facilitate dialogue. Aubrie often works with words of significance according to whom, what, or where she is collaborating with as inspiration for the piece itself. As Aubrie writes in her artist statement: “I’m most interested in the stark juxtaposition between my materials: luxurious, often feminine, silk, and rough-and-tough nails. I choose to work in Dupioni silk, a sparkly, luxe material commonly used in dress makings and interior textiles. I shred the silk, letting it deconstruct, and hand-form the letters directly onto a wall, much like how a street artist throws a tag up on a crumbling exterior wall. The process of creating my Silk Graffiti installations is one of push and pull, of light and dark. It is a commentary on a hyper masculine graffiti culture. It is a feminine twist on a malecentric act. Imperfect layers of the tangled silk strings, pieced silk letters, and scattered wire nail heads help to further the narrative and tone of the text. Lighting can transform the piece too, bringing out all the nubby iridescence of the silk and the glittery metallic nails. Natural elements, like the breeze from an open window running through the silk strands, and the passing of time help to further deconstruct the Silk Grafitti into a more dripping, tangled web of silk and nails as it matures.” Aubrie Costello is an installation artist and draftswoman from the Philadelphia area. She studied fine arts at Moore College of Art and Design, and upon graduating with honors, co-founded The Other Woman (a ladies’ art collective). She has shown in numerous galleries throughout the city of Philadelphia and at The Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy. Her current body of work is entitled Silk Graffiti, a series of site-specific fiber art installations. www.aubriecostello.com Please join us at IHP on Wednesday, October 16 from 6 to 7:30pm to open Aubrie Costello: Silk Graffiti. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. The exhibit will be on display until December 31, 2013.