Carly Hodes is a contemporary artist who works with paint, paper mache, ceramics, and text. They received their BA in Art Practice from Saint Mary’s College of California in 2022 and have been living and working in Telluride since. They have since been involved in Telluride Theatre and the Telluride AIDs Benefit, performing as an extension to their visual arts practice. Carly currently works as the head youth and teen instructor for visual arts at Ah Haa School for the Arts.
IF YOU COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ONE ARTIST, ALIVE OR DECEASED, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I would converse with Bread and Puppet Theatre’s co-founder and director Peter Schumann. The groups' puppetry-filled, politically-infused performances evoke personal and social reflection. I’d ask him about his philosophy surrounding his folk-inspired puppet works - specifically, I’d like to know how his unique visual language came to fruition and how its surrealist quality reflects the Theatres’ political and social focus.
Which artistic media inspires you most?
My inspiration fluctuates depending on the media I am working with. If I’m focusing on painting, I look at paintings, mostly those of Philip Guston and Christina Quarles. If I’m making sculptures/puppets, I look at Schumann’s work or relics of Telluride Academy’s own Mudd Butts Mystery Theatre Troupe and the creations of artists Sally Davis, Kim Epifano, and Mike Stasiuk. This constant flow between different mediums offers flexibility in my making process and provides a constant stream of information to pull from.
What is your favorite awkward growth moment or barrier-breaking time?
Breaking creative barriers occurs in activities outside of my personal art-making. My growth occurs in performance. The purpose of the performer is to embody and confront what hinders their full expression, and embodying this expression as a character transfers into life off of the stage. Though the performer themselves has acted within a world of fiction, it is the essence that they tapped into that the body latches onto as a catalyst for growth. This transformation, while taking place outside of one’s actual life (within the world of the stage), disperses into all aspects of the performers’ life — personal, artistic, spiritual, etc. — and creates more room for the artist to engage fully in their life and in their work. Personally, in my paintings, my mark-making and fictional characters aim to capture this essence conjured during the act of performance: my works are an embodiment of this moment of personal discovery within the human condition.
What inspires you and/or keeps you engaged and moving forward?
Being in creative environments and engaging with fellow artists provides constant engagement. Exposure to media, specifically movies and television, further moves me to store information that I access in moments of creation.
Tell us about your upcoming events, new releases, or anticipated projects.
I am planning on a pop-up soon for my recent painting and ceramics works and am planning the release of 3 new paintings and 5 ceramics pieces. I share information about other upcoming events and updates on my Instagram @hodesart. You can also visit my website, www.carlyhodes.work, to see my past works.