About

Julie Pishny is a textile and mixed media artist living in Kansas City who uses leaves, roots, seeds, flowers, metal and found objects to dye and print natural fibers to create wall art, fiber sculpture and sustainable clothing. 

Artist Statement

My art is an expression of my interest to see more clearly the true nature of things, and recognize the essence of plants and my relationship with them. I believe that we are better stewards of the Earth when we have an understanding of nature and engage with our surroundings in deeper ways to find more meaning in wild places. Plants not only nourish our bodies, please our senses, oxygenate our air, provide materials for shelter, heal our bodies, enhance our living spaces and we especially enjoy the colors they give to our clothing.

Using natural processes, I print the image of the leaves, roots, stems and flowers onto the surface of natural fibers resulting in an array of soft muted color and intricate leaf prints. This process is often referred to as ecoprinting which is the use of plants to naturally print their image onto the surface of cloth. The resulting images are ethereal, enchanting and always engaging. My interest in native plant dyes has lead me to the use of the Kansas sunflower, Compass Plant, Elderberry, Sumac, Osage Orange, Pokeberry, Wild Mints and many other native plants.

Once ecoprinted the cloth becomes a representation of plant dyes specific to where they were gathered becoming a visual history in color and print of a place. It tells the story of the time of year and the amount of rainfall a place has received or if the area is in a draught, and how many days of sunshine the plant has received. All of these things will influence the colors the plant will give to the cloth.

My sculptures are made using a metal framework that is partially covered with naturally dyed silk. The sculpture is then stitched and embellished resulting in an organic shapes found in nature.

My hope as an artist is to enchant and fuel the curiosity of the viewer to build their own relationship with the familiar plants in their gardens and along the roadside to encourage the honoring of nature and her conservancy.

AWARDS

One of Julie Pishny's ecoprints received a first place award from Textile Art and Fiber Artist's (TAFA) Print and Dye Photo in 2015. 

EXHIBITIONS

Collaboration installation with Marcella Lally at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center in Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City, MO in 2014.  Vintage French nightgown ecoprinted with leaves.

Images on this website are copyright protected.  Please do not republish images without prior consent.  Please get in touch via contact page for consent to use images.  Most images on this website are styled and photographed by Julie Pishny, Artist.