Canoeing the swamps and wetlands in the Gulf Coast, Louisiana native Pippin Frisbie-Calder developed a deep appreciation for the raw beauty, fragility and diversity of the various ecosystems.
The New Orleans printmaker hopes to document what these threatened areas have – and what they may still lose – in her art.
The artist: Born in Hammond, LA, but was raised and homeschooled on a boat sailing from Mandeville, LA, through Central America with her family. Since her dad is English, the family also spent some time in Europe.
In 2008, she earned her fine arts degree in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design and moved to New Orleans two years later. In 2017, she received her master’s degree in printmaking from Tulane. Two years later, she signed with New Orleans-based Lemieux Galleries (lemieuxgalleries.com).
The studio: For years she worked out of the New Orleans Community Printshop. In 2017 she moved to her own printshop/studio in Arabi, LA, a New Orleans suburb.
The goods: Woodcuts ($800 to $2,600); installations, which are site specific ($5,000 to $20,000); and work at LeMieux, which are one of a kind pieces ($500 to $5,000).
What’s popular: Large-scale woodcuts pieces that range in size from four to seven feet ($800 to $2,600). Popular subject range from birds in flight to large cypress trees.
Other favorites: Shadow box swamps and 3-D Gold leaf compilations ($500 to $5,000).
Inspiration: The natural world and science.
Art influences: Hokusai, William Morris, Swoon and Ernst Haeckel, to name a few. Also the decorative traditions of Art Deco and the narrative arch of artists like Kathe Koolwitz, a Russian painter who later turned to lithography and woodcuts.
Fun requests: Create big, old alligator images. She has been trying to find the right gator for years. A few years ago, she came upon one that was 13 feet long. But she didn’t have her camera.
Big break(s): Solo shows at the Contemporary Art Center in New Orleans and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids, MI.
What’s new: Working with encaustic, creating collages with her printmaking.
Where to buy: www.pippinprint.com.
Get social at: pippinprint on Instagram.
