Art by Frances Bates
Autofocus (2018)
This piece is about how we see the world through our phones. It is constructed out of wood, cardboard, foam, and a paper heart suspended by fishing line in the center. You can stand behind the four foot phone and appear as if you reality is getting "liked" similar to a social media post.
Wire Iguana (2015)
The interesting skin texture and body shape of an iguana seemed like a fun challenge to replicate in wire. I used all the same type of wire creating variation using different gauges (sizes). To add more visual impact I would spiralize the wire.
100 Feet of Art and History (2024)
Art to Change the World collaborated with the Mill City Museum to create an installation during the Stone Arch Bridge Festival. Six artists were chosen to make something related to the Mississippi River and the history of grain milling. Sadie Ward and I decided to work together to create a sort of art bridge for our part of the installation. Sadie used scraps of denim as the water and I used fabric and found objects to represent the bridge.
This was an interactive installation so each artists had an activity to go along with their art. On the denim strips you could write a memory of the Mississippi River weave it into the fence. For my found objects you could draw something on a paint chip and clip it to the fence or leave a message about how you are sustainable to be put in the test tubes already attached to the fence. During the two day festival we had many people participate as you can see by the difference between the last two photos. This installation stayed up after the festival and people continued to add objects.
https://www.arttochangetheworld.org/acw-mill-city-museum-stone-arch-festival-project/
Mississippi River Pearl (2022)
Art to Change the World (ACW) received funding from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) to make art about water quality. This project brought together both artists and non artists, all passionate about environmental impact. We gathered to collect trash along the Mississippi River to create an interactive sculpture with what we found. The sculpture has been to multiple places around the Twin Cities, including MWMO headquarters and the Mill City Museum. We continue to do exhibitions and workshops so more people can experience the sculpture. Learn all about the Pearl at the link below. I've included photos showing some of what I worked on.
https://www.arttochangetheworld.org/mississippi-management-and-watershed-project/
