Ann Vollum is a New Jersey fiber and mixed media artist with an international background, born in Africa, she has lived inAfrica,England,France and the USA and has travelled widely. She studied to be an architect and then worked as an art director and graphic designer in London and New York City. Ann’s artistic journey has progressed through painting, line drawing, book making, fantastical and detailed “paper cuts” to hand stitched textiles and fiber sculptures.Ann is honored to have been juried into the 2023,New Jersey Arts Annual, Noyes Museum, Stockton University; the2022,New Jersey Arts Annual, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton; the2022, 14C Art Fair Showcase, Jersey City and in 2020,The Gold Standard of Textile and Fiber Art, West beth Gallery, New York. Her work has been exhibited widely and featured in various publications. In September 2022, she was interviewed by Canvas Rebel. Ann is a member of a number of professional organizations and has served on the board of The Textile StudyGroup of New York.
Statement
My process is organic, slow, and meditative valuing craftsmanship and sustainability.I am interested in narratives: the richness found in both nature and decay; the emotional burdens we carry; the wonderment of the mundane! Most of my materials are repurposed, cloth is transformed using a layering of techniques including eco and rust dying. Pattern and repetition are constants in my work, I am interested in the way pattern transforms a surface. For my sculptural pieces whether wet felted or stitched, I am influenced by forms found in nature, whether visible to the human eye or a cellular structure seen under a microscope.For my cloth sculptures “poufs” are stitched, embellished, rust dyed and then assembled on a hardware cloth form. Felted pieces are wet felted using a variety of wools and then rust dyed to“age”the colors. Sculptures are tactile and sensorial, trinkets adorn and elevateI aim to arouse the imagination.
Education
BA, Architectural Studies, Newcastle University, UK
Diploma, Graphic Origination and Reproduction, London College of Printing
Exhibitions
2023
Portfolio Series: Local Materiality–juried exhibit–juror/ curator–Donna Rae Kessinger:
Studio Montclair Gallery, 127 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ–March25–April 22
Preview / Post View: Artist Studio Tour, Pierro Gallery: South Orange, NJ
The British are Coming…,Stony’s: South Orange, NJ
2011
Booked 8, Pierro Gallery: South Orange, NJ
Art at Stony’s, Stony’s: Madison, NJ
Preview / Post View: Artist Studio Tour, Pierro Gallery: South Orange, NJ
2010
Sparkhouse Studio: South Orange, NJ
Art at Stony’s, Stony’s: South Orange, NJ
Booked 7, Pierro Gallery: South Orange, NJ
Art of the Book, Arts Lobby Showcase, JCC MetroWest: West Orange, NJ
Creep Show, Gas Gallery: Maplewood NJ
2009
Booked 6, PierroGallery: South Orange, NJ
2008
Booked 5, Pierro Gallery: South Orange, NJ
Home: Pages from our Lives, 1978 Gallery: Maplewood, NJ
2006
Mother’s Work, Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn, NY
Press
Discover Jersey Arts:With Coping Strategies and Resilience, 95 Artists Reemerge in Annual Exhibition,Ilene Dube,11/16/2022;https://jerseyartsfeatures.com/content/2022/11/17/with-coping-strategies-and-resilience-95-artists-reemerge-in-annual-exhibition?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=f94502dd-250b-4113-8700-49036fb8651c
Meet Ann Vollum:CanvasRebel:https://canvasrebel.com/?post_types=&s=ann+vollum, Sept 19, 2022
Power of IV:https://essexnewsdaily.com/arts/100192, July 29;https://www.mypaperonline.com/the-power-of-iv-presented-by-the-west-orange-arts-council.html, Aug 1;https://www.tapinto.net/towns/west-orange/sections/arts-and-entertainment/articles/west-orange-art-council-s-the-power-of-iv-exhibit-premieres-in-august, July 28;https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2021/08/power-of-art-quadrupled-in-new-exhibit-at-essex-county-gallery.html, Aug 2;https://spotonnewjersey.com/gateway/788835/the-power-of-iv-presented-by-the-west.html
Objet Trouvé’ Art Exhibit Ignites Imaginations at West Orange Arts Centerby Deborah Balthazar, Feb 3,2021https://www.tapinto.net/towns/west-orange/sections/arts-and-entertainment/articles/objet-trouve-art-exhibit-ignites-imaginations-at-west-orange-arts-center
Objet Trouve’-An exhibit of found objects curated by Carol Black-Lemonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_vHQ45qsEYObjetTrouvé:AnExhibitofFoundObjects:ReviewbySeanQuinn,Feb 1, 2021https://www.westorangeartscouncil.org/post/objet-trouv%C3%A9-an-exhibit-of-found-objects-1West Orange Patch, WOAC Exhibit Showcases Beautiful Art Made From Found Objects, Feb 1, 2021https://patch.com/new-jersey/westorange/woac-exhibit-showcases-beautiful-art-made-found-objects-nodx“They Come Out At Night”,Image, NY Times, Calendar, NY Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/nyregion/events-in-new-jersey-for-june-8-14-2014.html?_r=0
“They Come Out At Night”, Image, NY Times, Calendar, June 8, 2014, p.8
Artist Studio Tour Video 2013
“Closing reception on Saturday for ‘A Conversation’ at the Iris Gallery”,News-Record, September 11,2014, p.40“Dragonflies”, image for Stepping Out, News-Record, August 28,2014, p.24 “They Come OutAt Night”, Image,“Beat the heat and catch some cool art shows!”, Our Town and Around, June 2014,p.16
“A Different Kind of Bookie”,Hersh, Sarah: Matters Magazine-Summer 2014, p.22-25
SOMAtv March 2010: Meet the Artist, Book Arts Special: Produced and hosted by Nancy Heins-Glaser.This special was filmed at the Pierro Gallery in South Orange during the set up for the show Booked 7 bythe Book Arts Roundtable. I talk about my book, A Walk with Crocodile: (No longer available)
Dustin’s Kaleidoscope SOMATV, YouTube : An interview:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3nGQq5O9_8South
2023-nj-arts-annual-Mother Nature vs Human Nature-exhibition-catalogue:Noyes Museum of Art,Stockton University
2022-nj-arts-annual-reemergence-digital-exhibition-catalogue: p123-124, NJ State Museum, Trenton
“Primal”:Statements 2022, 2022, Pro Arts, p41
“Gorgon: Stheno”, Gorgon:Euryale”: Transformation–Creative Alchemy:Creating with Courage withClarissa Callesen:Fiber Arts Take TwoExhibition catalog, 2022, pages 16-19
“The Last Laugh”, “And he took it All with a Gun”, “R.I.P”:Booked 16:Book Arts Roundtable catalogue,March 2020,p28
“They Come Out byNight”: The Language of Making: Visual Voices from the Textile Study Group of NewYork: 2019, p190
“Motherlode”, “Eat or Be Eaten”:Booked 15: Book Arts Roundtable catalogue, March 2018, p36
“Serendipity”, Booked 14:Book Arts Roundtable catalogue, March 2017, p46
“Cut” “Sigil of House Mullov”, Booked 13:Book Arts Roundtable catalogue, March 2016, p40
“The Ogre Downstairs”, Booked 12:Book Arts Roundtable catalogue, March 2015, p.46
“The Beastly Uncertainty… Uncertainty and Estimation in Economics Vol 3.”, “The Beastly Three”,Booked 11:Book Arts Roundtable catalogue, March 2014, p.48-49
“A Conversation Art by Ann Vollum & Russell Christian, Curated by MichaHamilton”,Hamilton, Micha:The Herb & Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC, catalog, 2014
“Wakarukaruka and they jumped and jumped by MullovNna”,“Blood Bath by Mullov Nna”, Booked 10:Book Arts Roundtable catalogue, March 2013, p.56Mail
Me Art: Short & Sweet catalogue, Darren Di Lieto:The Little Chimp Society 2013, No. 175
