Natalie Baxter explores concepts of place, identity, nostalgic americana, and gender stereotypes, predominantly through soft sculpture. Natalie’s work playfully pushes controversial issues, creating an accessible entry point for unpacking matters of tension in today’s political and social landscape. We have a great discussion about her journey as an artist- how she happened upon soft sculpture after a career in video and digital media. She met someone on the subway in NYC who taught her to bind a quilt and she spent the next year secretly making 80 soft sculptures of bloated guns in her tiny basement apartment! After an article was released about the sculptures, her work exploded and she hasn’t looked back since.
At the time of this interview, Natalie was pregnant with her daughter, Petra. It was fun to discuss what she anticipated her life and career to be like once her daughter came (and I’m sure, now that Petra is several months old, Natalie may have realized a few things were not what she anticipated!).
Natalie received a MFA from the University of Kentucky in 2012 and her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Hyperallergic, The Guardian, Vogue Italia and Bomb Magazine. She currently lives and works in New York City with her photographer husband and baby girl.
Connect with Natalie by following her on instagram @nattybax and see more of her work on her website http://www.nataliebaxter.com
