Aimee Odum is a visual artist, educator, and curator living and working in Salt Lake City, UT. Odum received her MFA in Ceramics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and a BS in Pre-Art Therapy from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has been invited to speak about her work at numerous institutions including Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Virginia Commonwealth University. Odum was awarded the Sturgis International Fellowship in 2015 to support five months of studio research in Iceland and invited to the DNA Residency in 2017 to develop new work in Provincetown, MA. She was recently awarded the Career Advancement Grant by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and was the 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence at Bountiful Davis Art Center. 

Odum has exhibited nationally and internationally with solo exhibitions at Arts + Leisure Gallery (New York, NY) and Random Access Space, Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY); as well as two-person exhibitions at GRIN, (Providence, RI); Elijah Wheat Showroom (Brooklyn, NY); Satellite Art Show (Miami, Florida); and Hectoliter, (Brussels, Belgium).

ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is about the evolving relationship between humans and technology through the lens of the natural world. I examine these subjects by creating ceramic sculptures and digital installations, combining one of the most ancient technologies with more current forms. Biomorphic, ceramic objects are often left with finger indentations and layered with heavy glaze to communicate a sense of liveliness. Videos are distorted and animated for a mesmerizing, dream-like atmosphere. The mediums are then combined as full-body installations or window-sized assemblages to create a space where future or parallel universes can be imagined. In creating this work, my process is non-linear and fueled by experimentation. Ceramic sculptures are often hand-built with molds formed of paper to create an organic shape. I add openings and appendages that resemble faces and legs. With a strong background in glaze chemistry, I experiment with a multitude of layering treatments to create vibrant, protruding surfaces. This demands systematic testing and recording so that I can channel the collected information with an impulsive, expressionistic application. I pull inspiration for specific shapes and collect video footage from personal adventures and online databases. Geological structures, botanical life, and theoretical ideas such as those proposed by Jane Bennett, suggesting inanimate objects have more of a life than credited, all influence the work. Videos are distorted, layered, and manipulated to blend colors and create familiar, yet unrecognizable natural spaces. These themes and processes are motivated by two persistent threads: the compulsion for touch and the allure of immersion. This work offers an opportunity for viewers to find connections with similar forms of touch and immersion – drawing their own states of reverie for the natural world or a dream of what it could be.

LINKS
https://aimeeodum.com

IMAGES

Aimee Odum, “Two Unknowns (Detail),” 2019, glazed ceramic, single channel video projection 64 x 120 x 24

Aimee Odum, “Two Unknowns,” 2019, glazed ceramic, single channel video projection 64 x 120 x 24

Aimee Odum, “Horizon Lines (Installation Detail),” 2017, single channel video installation, epoxy clay, lustered cera, 96 x 125 x 4 in.

Aimee Odum, “Horizon Lines (Detail),” 2017, single channel video installation, epoxy clay, lustered cera, 96 x 125 x 4 in.

Aimee Odum, “The Anthropocene (AI-generated Image),” 2023, framed giclee print, 15 x 13 in.

Aimee Odum, “Getting to Know You,” 2023, ceramics, 20.25 x 16 x 3.25 in.

Aimee Odum, “The Anthropocene,” 2023, ceramic, hydrocal, epoxy clay, sand, 54.5 x 38 x 17 in.

Aimee Odum, “The Other,” 2023, single channel video animation, epoxy clay, enamel, 102 x 192 x 44 in.

Aimee Odum, “Nowhere (In Reverie),” 2018, glazed ceramic, 10.5 x 6.5 x 6 in.

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