Caroline Mead

Biography 
Caroline Mead is a Pittsburgh-based artist focusing on sculpture and screen printing. The main inspiration for her works is derived from identity, mental health, and growing pains. In 2016 she began a local clothing brand, Heady Apparel, in her kitchen. This small brand was rooted in the skateboarding scene of Pittsburgh and has since grown statewide and beyond. Heady Apparel hosts and sponsors community functions. These include contests, fundraisers, and local events to promote the passion and art of skating. Caroline is currently employed as Head Technician at Artists Image Resource, a nonprofit art studio based in the Northside of Pittsburgh. 

Artist Statement 
I am taking an introspective approach to my work this year. I examine the concept of identity and how self-perception is affected in the greater collective of both society and the natural world. In this series, I hope to become more vulnerable through my art and use my craft to speak the words that I cannot gather. Who knows us better than ourselves? Self-perception alone is sometimes hazy or intensely critical compared to how others view us. When faced with the question “what is my identity” I take pause. Am I a collection of my experiences? Am I the product of my childhood, or am I a product of my ever-changing environments? Am I only truly known through my meaningful relationships or effect on others? I consider the factors that actively shape who I am, and I wonder if all of us have total control over who we are and all that we become. Outside of my body of artwork, I intimately engage with the world through heightened yet calculated risks. The activities that I regularly participate in, such as extreme sports, have caused me the most bodily injury, yet these are still the mental support systems that I seek out the most. I gain the sense of finding my true limits, and I recognize the false boundaries that I have had in place for my entire childhood. I want to translate this feeling into the work that I create to cross the boundaries that I have put in place for myself in my practice. Through letting go of false control, I find more peace in my creative process.

This body of work intends to blur the line between 2D and 3D pieces using screen printing and sculpture with a significantly larger scale. My primary media includes wood, wire, plaster, ink, and recycled material. The purpose of this exploration through material creation is to navigate further through mental barriers and deep-seated beliefs into my ripple of existence. 

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