Caroline Ladd (B. 1998) was born in Des Moines, Iowa and grew up in Austin, TX. Ladd is a candidate for a Bachelors in Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in May 2020. Ladd has recently shown in the event Halloween by Design (Austin, TX) in 2019 and in Preview 8 Lazarus Gallery (Baltimore, MD) in 2020. Ladd has studied abroad in a Global Ecologies Summer Program at the Burren College of Art (Ballyvaughan, Ireland) in 2019. Ladd hopes to pursue a Masters in Art Education in the future.
The white-tailed deer that roam the lawns and backyards of suburban Austin are often considered to be nothing but pests, on par with city rats or racoons. In many ways they are, deer can easily devastate a garden, and they actively fling themselves blindly into traffic. However, in Ladd’s childhood memories she couldn’t help but admire the elegant creatures on long spindly legs. Ladd transforms and beautifies these memories using beading, delicate embroidery, and vibrant fabrics as a way of paying homage to the natural elements that made her home. Ladd utilizes the soft and tactile properties of textiles alongside colorful drawings to recreate how we view our nostalgic memories as adults, and how they have changed over time. The layering of markers allows for a loose, fluid lines that accentuate the lack of structure or clarity when it comes to memory recall. Many of Ladd’s pieces are soft sculptures, and the tactile handling and playing with these types of artworks is highly encouraged.
Located in Baltimore, MD.
cladd@mica.edu