Conversation with Casondra Cunningham
The Conifers of the Sierra Nevada, Ponderosa Pine India ink and pen; 6x9 in; created December 2019
How was your art practice impacted by the pandemic?
Before the pandemic, I relied heavily on shared studio space at UC Santa Barbara. I graduated from there in 2019 and, with the blessing of my professors, was still using the print and papermaking equipment. When the pandemic hit, all these public spaces were closed and I lost access to the essential machinery of my artistic practice.
I live in a small space, sharing an 8x16ft tiny home with my partner in the mountains of Santa Barbara. With access to public studios, this small space was never a problem. But with those studios closed, the small space felt a bit limiting. The majority of my work had to be done outside, subject to the elements. Despite this, I was able to build a modest home print and book studio.
What was your experience like collaborating with another artist(s)?
Collaboration is always exciting, new people bring new ideas to the work and push artistic practice in ways an individual cannot. It was particularly fun to work with Erin and Elizabeth because we had so much in common in terms of our interests, but we expressed that in very different ways as artists.
Field sketch and journal entry, Adirondack Mountains Watercolor and journal entry written while backpacking; journal is 7.5 x 9 in; created August 2018
What was a success to come from the CoLab project?
I think our collective use of resin was a success to come from the CoLab project; none of us had used this material before and we were all able to incorporate it in a final piece in our respective media.
Have your material choices changed over the years?
My artistic practice has evolved over the years to include more consideration of three-dimensional space. I have become much more interested in useful objects, such as a book you can interact with, or a ceramic pot that can be used daily to eat or drink out of. I also gravitate more toward found objects; incorporating things from other places and times can give my practice more depth.
When did you first begin working with this medium, media?
I first started working in the medium of print in college, when I stumbled across a class called “Book Arts”. I have long been interested in expressing a story through art and the print medium fits well with this tendency. I ended up majoring in Printmaking and Book Arts at UCSB, I enjoy the tactility of these media and the ability of the book to be both a 2D and 3D object.
The Mountain, Artist book digitally printed on recycled map, text written by artist (see attached text); 8x11 in; created May 2019
BIO: Casondra Cunningham is an artist based in Santa Barbara, CA. Her work spans the media of painting, printmaking, bookmaking, and ceramics and is primarily concerned with human connection to nature. When she is not making art, you can find her working at Folio Press & Paperie, a local letterpress print shop, or spending time outdoors gardening or surfing.