Erin DiGiovanni: LABOR
“I make this work to disrupt conventional and habitual ways of thinking about labor and self-worth when compared to thoughtful reciprocity between individual and environment.”
Summer 2023 Artist-in-Residence with the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation
Erin at the Castle Butte Lookout in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest
What keeps you returning to a subject or body of work??
I keep returning to the subject of labor within a private and public context for a few reasons. My art practice is one way I choose to help understand myself and the world around me. When questioning labor in general, I begin to question the value of my labor in relation to others’ perceptions, which of course can change depending on the person. In popular American discourse surrounding the topic of labor, though, I’ve found common beliefs, assumptions, and contradictions can overwhelm narratives of personal value when “work” is involved, such as the bootstrap theory and the distribution of tasks according to traditional gender roles. I make this work to disrupt conventional and habitual ways of thinking about labor and self-worth when compared to thoughtful reciprocity between individual and environment.
In-Progress drawing by Erin
What was your research process during your residency?
At Castle Butte, my research involved daily walks and recordings of local flora and personal routines. The floral drawings stem from an initial desire to learn and identify plants in the environment that I often overlook while hiking or running because I’m too stuck in my own head. Rather than charging through the time I get to spend outside, I was forced to slow down while taking reference pictures. I became more engaged with the land as I eagerly documented unknown plants or found myself identifying a flower that would have been a mystery to me a few days prior.
Flora in the Castle Butte Lookout at the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest)
How was your experience as an Open AIR Artist-in-Residence?
Overall, I had a great experience with Open AIR. I gravitate toward solitude during the making process, and Castle Butte (Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest) provided plenty of that. It was a fun challenge to get creative with the materials I had with me while traveling in Montana this summer because I wasn’t planning on being a part of the residency until a couple of weeks before the start date. When the opportunity for a place to focus on my creative practice presented itself, though, I was ecstatic and a little nervous. I had to make the quick decision to leave my summer restaurant job in East Glacier a few weeks early, and I knew it would require a lot of planning and preparation. I’m so grateful to Krissy Ferriter (SBFC), Geoff Fast (USFS), Kelli Sinner (Open AIR), Stoney Samsoe (Open AIR), and Jonathan Marquis for helping me prepare for the stay. There were a few visitors who came to check out and admire the lookout, but mostly, the company was in the form of internal dialogues, a few books, colored pencils, and my two dogs.
Castle Butte Lookout Tower
Walk us through the choices you make in a single piece.
I had been working at a restaurant all summer and didn’t plan to be a part of the residency when I left Tucson in May, so I had limited supplies with me. At Two Medicine Grill, we used paper guest checks for filling out customer orders, and the week before leaving, I saved a few from the trash at the end of each workday. I saw the history of my coworkers’ and my day embedded within the quick shorthand, inconsistent tares from the pad, and splotches of coffee and grease. The colorful scientific plant studies on the grimy, used guest checks are reflections of my time working in the service industry on the Blackfeet Reservation the past two summers. Service Value questions how worth is assigned to labor and production in private and public spaces, as well as considers my role as a guest in the places I go to heal, admire, and learn.
Erin at work during the residency.
What are you up to now (post Open AIR)?
Currently, I am working on a small print edition with a lithography component utilizing architecture from Castle Butte and some mixed media projects. I’m also getting ready to teach my spring classes at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where I’ve lived since 2017.
In-progress artwork by Erin
Like to know more about Erin? Visit her website and follow her on Instagram @erin_digiovanni
