Josie Parry
she/they
Bozeman, MT, USA
Josie Parry is a multimedia artist currently finishing their BFA at Montana State University. They are the MSU Metals Guild President, and have participated in many exhibitions during their time in Bozeman, including a solo show in the Exit Gallery.
“Memories you can catch but cannot keep. A shadow is not a darker version of the thing that casts it, but a gentle impression of its defining features.
As long as I have been a creator, I have also been a collector. Through these practices, my hands are kept busy while my heart and mind settle. Focused in metal smithing but experimenting in many different media, I use art as an extension of childhood fantasy and as a means for finding wonder in everyday life.”
What does being queer mean to you in relation to your material choices? Is it something you consider?
“I was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and although my family isn’t Mormon, I grew up surrounded by that intense religious culture. Being queer meant I was going to stand out no matter what. From a young age, I was really drawn towards bold color and wore it any way I could- on my clothes, makeup, and in my hair. With this lamp project, I became really interested in exploring the bright colors of seed beads and how I could use the wide variety of colors to replicate a quilt that my great-grandma Edna made.
The act of weaving tiny seed beads together with a needle is a spell. It’s a ritual that binds me to the people and places that I love. It’s a routine that I practice almost every day. Adorning my body and my home with these intricate beaded objects allows me to share the moments of beauty that I see in everyday life with those around me- an act of love that feels queer and bold and universally understood all at once.
My hope is for my material choice to instill a feeling of wonder and curiosity in everyone who views my work, no matter how different our identities or our worldviews are."
"A Lamp for Edna", Glass seed beads, nylon thread, copper, found object, 14" x 9" x 5.5", 2024“Traditionally, quilts have been considered to be ‘women’s work’ along with many other types of fiber art, and haven’t received the respect they deserve in gallery and museum spaces. By meticulously recreating a quilt made by my great-grandmother and displaying it in a gallery, her composition is elevated to the status of fine art.
I like claiming the word queer when describing myself because it references the history of resourceful and brave people who fought for a society in which I can (usually) safely express myself. By showing this piece, I am able to display my great-grandma Edna’s expertise as an artist to a circle outside of my family, and tell stories of her resilience not only as a mother (of 16!), or grandmother, or great-grandmother, but as a woman who was stubborn and insisted on keeping her hands busy making beautiful quilts even as she was well into her 90s and going blind. I don’t know if this piece is ‘queer art’ because I am a queer artist, or because the investigation of one’s identity and how it was shaped through family and cultural history feels inherently queer."
Is the work queer because the maker is queer, or is it queer because the subject matter is queer?
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“While my aunt and sister were in town to see the exhibition where I displayed this lamp, I got to hear stories that this work reminded them of.
My aunt explained to me that the quilt the lamp is based on is wonky and the squares are uneven because it was one of the last pieces great-grandma Edna ever sewed. She may have been completely blind when she made it.
My aunt lived with my parents, my sister and I growing up. She had a sewing business for several years, and would always make matching patchwork skirts for us girls to wear. While we were at the exhibition, my aunt explained to me that seeing this lamp and talking about Edna led her to realize that she likely fell in love with sewing and patchwork due to spending so much time at her grandma’s house growing up. She would watch her make quilts, and eventually learned how to sew from her.
I thought that this was a beautiful moment in which the threads of our family history and our personal identities as artists intertwined. I hope that the work I make in my lifetime can spark moments of connection and discussion as well, and I am excited to continue to share this lamp and listen to the stories it inspires people to tell me."