Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmett Ramstad
Emmett , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was raised in Minneapolis by an artist mom, Josie Winship. Creativity was part of the fabric of life for me, so it felt natural to pursue arts in my life. I believe that art enables makers and audience members to think about life and the world around them in generative ways that are life giving and meaningful. This is why I became an artist, so that I could be able to communicate what I think and feel. This is also why I became an art teacher. I believe that creativity is a vital aspect of a healthful society, it helps support connection and communication, but also can bring huge amounts of joy, empathy and critical dialogue.
I have a studio in Minneapolis where I make sculpture, installation, and participatory works. I also teach undergraduate artists at The University of Minnesota, and sculpture to artists of all ages through workshops with Compas, a wonderful arts organization that connects teaching artists with schools and community centers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Balancing parenting, teaching and being an artist is a unique challenge. All of these aspects of my life inspire and inform each other, but getting the right blend can be tricky. I recently organized an art exhibition called “Together” at Minnesota Museum of American Art to investigate this particular balancing act. The exhibition featured 10 Minnesota artist families with diverse age ranges and family structures who created individual and communal works. It was tremendous making new work collaboratively with my 9 year old and sharing it with the public. My kid is so much a part of the work I make and also the challenges I face being an artist- just getting to the studio, focusing, etc. So making work together was really eye opening. For example, corralling them into the studio to “make art for the show,” on days when they really wanted to be reading or playing in the yard. And then when we were actually painting, I learned so much from their flow. So much of my career as an artist is directed by the discipline of doing admin or getting to the studio, but I wonder if it has to be? I want to investigate what it means to make from a place of play and inquisitiveness, and also from desire in the moment.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have historically made sculpture and installations that exaggerate the size and function of familiar care products such as toothbrushes, tissues, towel dispensers, and rags. In this work I have been investigating a future where ordinariness is celebrated, and providing audiences places to reflect on how touch, care, and survival show up in their lives.
The sculptures I make are often interactive or participatory and originate from donated or used objects. When materials hold meaning, because they have been used or gifted to me, they have a charge that really excites me. I want to connect to audiences by inviting them into the work- creating opportunities for them to fold socks in the gallery, answer a public telephone in a bathroom stall, or sit inside an upright bathtub. I want to connect with audiences around these seemingly banal aspects of daily living.
The recent experience of caring for my dad while he was dying from dementia, and subsequently sorting out his belongings after his death, began a shift in my work towards two dimensional works. Lately I have been experimenting with making rag paintings using hand-me-down rag scraps and and creating long scrolls of abstracted landscapes inspired by traveling by car throughout in the Midwest. This feels like legacy work and I am excited to see where it takes me.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Art is a life-giving practice that helps me make sense of the world around me and communicate with other humans. Whether I am seeing art, gardening, making a sculpture, or playing in the park with my kiddo, there is a hum and bustle that lives inside me that can only clearly be articulated through making art. And sometimes that is a slow process. I have learned to be in this art making for the long haul and that being in community with other artists is vital to sustaining a life long art career.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emmettramstad@gmail.com
- Instagram: @emmettramstad
