Mimi Graminski
Stacked, 2021
Logs, lace stencils, paint 4'x4'x2'
I often work with things I find in nature - animating and imbuing meaning into objects both natural and man-made. Inspiration comes from materials and paradoxes that exist simultaneously in our world - fragility and strength, transparency and opacity, vicissitudes of memory, beauty in flaws. The ephemeral nature of this piece speaks to the multifaceted and ever-changing connection I have to my roots. Honoring the legacy of my immigrant grandmothers’ hard work, I mine the lace and flour they used in their everyday lives. I begin with the delicacy of woman-made intricate patterns, deriving strength from the hundreds of interlocking stitches, an homage to women’s labor. Contrasted with rough-cut logs, the work speaks to the balance of nature’s creative and destructive forces. A tree weathered by a storm enjoys new life as lace blooms across its severed branches. Like memories, the patterns fade and dissolve over time.
Mimi Graminski
Forest Mound, 2020
Logs, lace stencils, flour Variable
I often work with things I find in nature - animating and imbuing meaning into objects both natural and man-made. Inspiration comes from materials and paradoxes that exist simultaneously in our world - fragility and strength, transparency and opacity, vicissitudes of memory, beauty in flaws. The ephemeral nature of this piece speaks to the multifaceted and ever-changing connection I have to my roots. Honoring the legacy of my immigrant grandmothers’ hard work, I mine the lace and flour they used in their everyday lives. I begin with the delicacy of woman-made intricate patterns, deriving strength from the hundreds of interlocking stitches, an homage to women’s labor. Contrasted with rough-cut logs, the work speaks to the balance of nature’s creative and destructive forces. A tree weathered by a storm enjoys new life as lace blooms across its severed branches. Like memories, the patterns fade and dissolve over time.
Mimi Graminski
Logs and Lace, 2021
Logs, lace stencils, flour Dimensions variable
I often work with things I find in nature - animating and imbuing meaning into objects both natural and man-made. Inspiration comes from materials and paradoxes that exist simultaneously in our world - fragility and strength, transparency and opacity, vicissitudes of memory, beauty in flaws. The ephemeral nature of this piece speaks to the multifaceted and ever-changing connection I have to my roots. Honoring the legacy of my immigrant grandmothers’ hard work, I mine the lace and flour they used in their everyday lives. I begin with the delicacy of woman-made intricate patterns, deriving strength from the hundreds of interlocking stitches, an homage to women’s labor. Contrasted with rough-cut logs, the work speaks to the balance of nature’s creative and destructive forces. A tree weathered by a storm enjoys new life as lace blooms across its severed branches. Like memories, the patterns fade and dissolve over time.
Mimi Graminski
Landing on Joy, 2020
Logs, lace stencils, flour 6'x8'x3'
I often work with things I find in nature - animating and imbuing meaning into objects both natural and man-made. Inspiration comes from materials and paradoxes that exist simultaneously in our world - fragility and strength, transparency and opacity, vicissitudes of memory, beauty in flaws. The ephemeral nature of this piece speaks to the multifaceted and ever-changing connection I have to my roots. Honoring the legacy of my immigrant grandmothers’ hard work, I mine the lace and flour they used in their everyday lives. I begin with the delicacy of woman-made intricate patterns, deriving strength from the hundreds of interlocking stitches, an homage to women’s labor. Contrasted with rough-cut logs, the work speaks to the balance of nature’s creative and destructive forces. A tree weathered by a storm enjoys new life as lace blooms across its severed branches. Like memories, the patterns fade and dissolve over time.
Mimi Graminski
Girl’s Work, 2021
Doll clothes, crocheted yarn, fabric, thread 5'x3'x5"
This work began with a box of doll clothes from the artist’s childhood. While some were purchased, many she made as a child, in some of her first forays into art. They were made of scraps from homemade clothes and from findings brought by her parents’ friends, who worked in the garment district. To create this work, she used the clothes as a jumping off point and combined them with freeform crochet, highlighting the colors popular in the 1960’s. She wove together the clothes and yarn, with memories and emotions, in what was an organic process, to create a series that is a tribute to resiliency and creativity.
Mimi Graminski
Gypsy, 2021
Doll clothes, crocheted yarn, fabric, thread 6'x3'x5"
This work began with a box of doll clothes from the artist’s childhood. While some were purchased, many she made as a child, in some of her first forays into art. They were made of scraps from homemade clothes and from findings brought by her parents’ friends, who worked in the garment district. To create this work, she used the clothes as a jumping off point and combined them with freeform crochet, highlighting the colors popular in the 1960’s. She wove together the clothes and yarn, with memories and emotions, in what was an organic process, to create a series that is a tribute to resiliency and creativity.
Mimi Graminski
Surprised by Bravery, 2021
Doll clothes, crocheted yarn, fabric, thread 6'x3'x6"
This work began with a box of doll clothes from the artist’s childhood. While some were purchased, many she made as a child, in some of her first forays into art. They were made of scraps from homemade clothes and from findings brought by her parents’ friends, who worked in the garment district. To create this work, she used the clothes as a jumping off point and combined them with freeform crochet, highlighting the colors popular in the 1960’s. She wove together the clothes and yarn, with memories and emotions, in what was an organic process, to create a series that is a tribute to resiliency and creativity.
Mimi Graminski
In Color Installation detail, 2022
Fabric, pins, screen, found materials Dimensions variable
I am often inspired by materials – the sensuous colors of fabrics, translucent vellum, wispy wool threads. I see my studio as a Iaboratory where I collect disparate specimens, manipulate, combine and transform them often using scraps from other projects to give them new life. The delicate fabric is made to define space, shape and volume. Gravity, invisible air, and shadow play as large a role in the work as the physical media. The shadow can often appear more solid than the object. The work appears to be fragile, but actually has an inherent strength. This speaks to the power of tenderness, a whisper and something just out of reach. “Our greatest strength lies in the gentleness and tenderness of our heart.” Rumi
Mimi Graminski
In Color Installation detail, 2022
Fabric, pins, screen, found materials Dimensions variable
I am often inspired by materials – the sensuous colors of fabrics, translucent vellum, wispy wool threads. I see my studio as a Iaboratory where I collect disparate specimens, manipulate, combine and transform them often using scraps from other projects to give them new life. The delicate fabric is made to define space, shape and volume. Gravity, invisible air, and shadow play as large a role in the work as the physical media. The shadow can often appear more solid than the object. The work appears to be fragile, but actually has an inherent strength. This speaks to the power of tenderness, a whisper and something just out of reach. “Our greatest strength lies in the gentleness and tenderness of our heart.” Rumi
Mimi Graminski
In Color Installation detail: Double Mobius, 2022
Fabric, pins 4"x2"x2"
I am often inspired by materials – the sensuous colors of fabrics, translucent vellum, wispy wool threads. I see my studio as a Iaboratory where I collect disparate specimens, manipulate, combine and transform them often using scraps from other projects to give them new life. The delicate fabric is made to define space, shape and volume. Gravity, invisible air, and shadow play as large a role in the work as the physical media. The shadow can often appear more solid than the object. The work appears to be fragile, but actually has an inherent strength. This speaks to the power of tenderness, a whisper and something just out of reach. “Our greatest strength lies in the gentleness and tenderness of our heart.” Rumi
