Katie Truk makes sculpture that is layered, colorful and absorbing. It is taut with fabric, thread, wire and emotion. Starting with geometric square and circles then finishing with a tense, colorful wonder, that makes you wish to see all the sides of the piece. The Hamilton resident was just awarded a coveted New Jersey State Arts Council, Individual Artist Finalist award for 2025.
What are you communicating with your art?
A metaphorical microscopic view of a microcosm of emotions, memory, or occurrence from my female experience.
How did you evolve into the media that you use?
In the 7th grade, a friend gave me a tube of neon-colored, knee-high pantyhose. It was the 80’s and all the rage for our stirrup leggings. I was mesmerized with the colors. In fact, pantyhose always had a wild fascination with me. The variations of colors and textures seemed endless.
I went to Alfred University for sculpture. I played with lots of different media: clay, papier-mâché, glass, neon and even tried to incorporate the pantyhose. But it was sewing that grounded me. It calmed my racing mind. Plus it was something I could do by myself almost anywhere.
The advantages of pantyhose was that if a piece broke, I could fix it on the spot with some thread. I could carry all my work without much fatigue. Textures and colors would always be vast and could be explored perpetually. This medium would grow with me as I aged, without as much harm. Look at an aged sculptor’s hands, movements and posture. The practice is not kind to the body. Crazy that that was something I was considering in my twenties. But now I am hooked.
What is more important in your work, colors or textures?
Colors. Color is a subliminal manipulation of memories and emotions. If I want to steer you to my narrative I have to gently push that part of your mind from kindergarten that you will never forget about colors. Maybe then we can have a silent dialogue.
Your work appears to have ancient influences on it.
You noticed! Two of my series I purposely used macramé and then basket-weaving techniques. “In Knots,” I wanted it to have that taut tension of strength that macramé can imply, but a bit more chaotic as if from a beginner. The knots of stress in a person’s belly that Covid triggered for much of the nation, especially myself.
“Baskets,” I wanted to weave the pantyhose like a partial basket. I wanted to suggest a basket to hold each emotion. All these home decorating shows have containers for easy storage that declutter and beautify the home. Wouldn’t it be nice to pull out a memory, but it in a basket and store it away to free your mind? I love Harry Potter, and the thought of pulling a memory out of your mind is so appealing.
Do you work from sketches or traditional planning?
I might have an idea, but it’s really the pantyhose that dictates how it will fit into the piece. Since my pieces are truly three dimensional, I am rotating and flipping and working from multiple viewpoints. Sometimes the pantyhose won’t stretch as far as my idea wants it to go. By the end, it could be something very different than what I initially wanted, but needed to get out of myself.
I have worked from six inches to a whole wall; over 100 inches. I would love to make a piece even larger, but then where do you store it when it’s done?
I would love to work virtually. Can you imagine putting on a pair of glasses and being able to walk through one of my pieces? I need to find someone that could help me do that.
What fight/struggle do you have regarding your art?
All of it. Money is the hardest. It is not cheap living in New Jersey. I teach freelance for money to afford my space and supplies, but it takes up my time to create. If you don’t sell your work, then it takes up your space and then you are being smothered by your own creations.
Social media reels, posts and followers are what galleries look for in artists they represent. Add that to the list. Put up a show, take down a show. Openings, artist’s statements, invoices, applications for grants and exhibitions. Being an artist is an everyday hustle. Having more money would give me more time to get everything else done. Any patrons out there looking to support a pantyhose artist?
Who are some of your influences?
Lee Bontecou. Alexander Calder. Jim Henson. Louise Bourgeois.
How do you select the colors, forms and sizes for the works?
My smaller works are more like sketches. I can work through an idea faster. Then I decide if I can work with the concepts in a larger format. Some pantyhose patterns or colors need space. You can’t just box them into a corner.
When I am working on a series, like my “New Life,” I wanted the pieces to grow from 6 inches to 46 inches. A garden blossoming from a seed. In my “In Knots” series I wanted the larger pieces to be bold emotions of my Covid experience. The smaller pieces were more little aches or nags of thought. I find that a well-rounded series has both bold emotions as well as little ones.
How does teaching affect your own art work?
I teach multimedia classes to students of all ages. It allows for my mind to play and experiment. Technology I feel is always a step behind a creative mind. Keeping my hand in a classroom makes me seek knowledge on trends and new techniques. You never know what will be helpful in the studio.
As much as sewing brings Zen to my soul, teaching with clay or papier-mâché keeps my hands dirty. I love getting my hands dirty and working out a problem. This girl likes a puzzle, can’t you tell?
What is on the horizon?
I feel so blessed to have a studio at Grounds for Sculpture. I am thankful to friends, family and colleagues that have supported me through the years. I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without the gentle push from the people I have met along the way. That’s what I am looking forward to. The next interaction that will inspire my direction and propel me further along. I look forward to that conversation, and maybe a nice drink and a good meal. I can’t plan for the horizon, just like I can’t sketch the next sculpture, but it’s out there waiting for me to meet it. I am just hoping to enjoy the journey.
