New Work: Presenting The Good Thunder Project!

I’m so pleased to present a group of ten new wall-based works that I’ve labeled “The Good Thunder Project.” This project was made possible through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.

**Palatial Tapestry 01 (Shelley), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal and plastic armature, 2023**

**Palatial Tapestry 01 (Shelley)—detail**

My wall-based fiber works have integrated elements of disposable human culture for some time. Weaving cord and rope through discarded mundane shelving units, kitchen items, etc, I elevate these humble objects and create new abstract topographies—while also highlighting what we discard, and finding the innate structure and beauty in these unconsidered items.

The goal of this body of work was to integrate objects specific to the small community where I live, and the surrounding area. Good Thunder, MN has a population that hovers around 500, and is surrounded by expansive gravel roads and gorgeous natural areas. My husband and I have called Good Thunder home for 17 years. Still, our lives as contemporary artists and our lives in this place often feel disconnected. By integrating items that once belonged to members of the local community, I hoped to create a collective record of consumption, and, perhaps more importantly, to create a body of work that spoke more directly to place while connecting me to my home community.

**Palatial Tapestry 02 (Bobby), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal and plastic armature, 2023**

Collecting and conversing, two items that seemed entirely feasible when I wrote the grant proposal (and believed the pandemic was ending), were more challenging than I could have imagined. Not only were others slowly emerging from the ongoing pandemic—I was also slowly emerging from the pandemic, and feeling more uncomfortable than usual reaching out to my neighbors. The conversations that ensued from this mutual discomfort were not so much about a written record, or even a prosaic account of the objects donated (as I had once hoped), but instead they were exchanges infused with curiosity and enthusiasm about what I was doing, who I was, and what that meant to the community. This was rewarding in a way I had not anticipated. I found that some donated objects were interesting, but not capable of being integrated in my work due to fragility, weight, or dimensionality that contradicted my goals. Thus, I had to do several rounds of asking for donated materials while better communicating my intent. This took time and persistence.

I am beyond grateful for the generosity of those in my community—both in terms of donating items, and in their willingness to engage in conversations with me. Their enthusiasm and encouragement propelled this project forward at a time that I needed it.

**Palatial Tapestry 08 (Tracy), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal, plastic, and wooden armature, 2023**

The yellow woven object in each of the ten works represents an item donated by a resident of Good Thunder or surrounding areas. The objects include everything from tennis rackets to a rug beater to a disassembled oscillating fan. A few residents chose items specifically to donate for this project. Others simply indicated that they had some “stuff out on the curb”…and that I should come and look. And, in one instance, I ended up grabbing something from the curb without being notified, realizing that I needed to take advantage of the city-wide “clean up days.” In the end, both the intentionally donated objects and the incidentally donated objects help tell the story of this place at this time. In order to provide a bit more context about those that the objects belonged to, I have included a first name (where applicable) as part of each title. The idea that each object was once owned by an individual (other than me) is something that feels important to the project, and that I wanted to hold on to…while also not forcing anyone to speak, or revealing too much about anyone’s identity.

**Palatial Tapestry 07 (Brenda), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal and plastic armature**

**Palatial Tapestry 07 (Brenda)—detail**

Importantly, the works are infused with an aspect of the ornate, or the Rococo. Through an unrelated travel grant, I had the opportunity to experience Austrian and German Rococo last summer, and my fascination with the Bavarian Rococo aesthetic has clearly infused this group of works. There is something completely fitting about a high level of adornment around these otherwise forgotten small-town objects. One of the aspects of the German and Austrian Rococo that fascinated me was that although many of the decorative flourishes of the era were obliterated during war, they were re-created in equal, or sometimes greater, opulence as part of post-war restoration efforts.

**Palatial Tapestry 04 (curbside), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal and plastic armature, 2023**

**Palatial Tapestry 04 (curbside)—detail**

**Palatial Tapestry 03 (Shelley), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal and plastic armature, 2023**

**Palatial Tapestry 03 (Shelley)—detail**

I am most grateful to the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the citizens of Minnesota, for the opportunity to create this work. And again, a special thanks to the people who live in my small town for their energy, support, and enthusiasm for this project.

**Palatial Tapestry 05 (Jeff), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal and plastic armature, 2023**

**Palatial Tapestry 06 (Jeff), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal and plastic armature, 2023**

**Palatial Tapestry 09 (Brenda), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal , wood, and plastic armature**

**Palatial Tapestray 09 (Brenda)—detail**

**Palatial Tapestry 10 (Brenda), assorted rope, cord, zip ties, and paint on metal and plastic armature**

**Palatial Tapestry 10 (Brenda)—detail**

Liz Miller is a fiscal year 2022 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature; and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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New Work: Presenting The Good Thunder Project!