photo by Theo Preiswerk
artist bio for T.W. Pilar
Philosophy meets visual art in Pilar’s designs. Based in Atlanta, Pilar uses the combination of ethics and aesthetics as it relates to the environment, overproduction, consumerism and materialism to provoke introspection on these topics. It’s been asserted that “ethics become aesthetics”, and this creator’s journey has been an experiment to prove the inverse is also valid; in a world where value is associated with beauty perhaps beauty can influence cultural values and encourage a reevaluation of the ethics behind them.
These monochromatic designs demonstrate new ways to view the industrial byproduct and infrastructure between the 17th and 20th centuries. She utilizes materials that represent a cultural attachment to industry, such as plastic and steel, and incorporates elements of nature, such as wood and petrified moss. The word natural typically refers to anything not made or caused by humankind, and yet, according to Pilar, human ingenuity and labor are elements of the natural world. The combination of resources, ideation, and manufacturing that have created new materials and means of production, as the artist states, are “second nature”. Materials that eventually become waste, inventions by humanity, and the evolution of processes created to further our civilization are displayed, in essence, as objects of beauty to be coveted and assigned value.
Her work is most often associated with environmentalism, and though Pilar has stated she is an advocate, and hopes the work’s influence can contribute to climate awareness positively, she considers her practice to be more psychological- focusing on the humanic end of the anthropocentrism spectrum. She notes, industry may have a direct responsibility to the ecological issues humanity currently faces, but believes industrial advancements are a natural adaptation and our civilization is merely at a point of navigation. Taking reference from philosophers like Murray Bookchin, Timothy Morton, and Theodore Adorno, as well as inspiration from artistic movements like Arte Povera, Pilar is developing her own philosophies and turning them into tangible works of fine art. Her process begins with writing out her thoughts on these topics based on research, reflection, and observations of the “common world”; a term she uses for the expectations and habits of the individuals that participate in the capitalist systems of mainstream society.
To date, Pilar has been featured in publications such as Jezebel Magazine, Arts Atlanta, and Atlanta Journal Constitution in write ups and critical reviews, from minds like Jerry Cullum. She has also spoke in interviews with The Oxygen Project, Voyage ATL, Canvas Rebel, and WABE’s City Lights, and hosted events to connect directly to other artists and her peers. Her work’s ideology is amplified by these efforts of community engagement, and public speaking, as it has proven to be a powerful tool to encourage self-education and introspection.
artist statement
My work is an experimental process using overlooked materials to visibly demonstrate the connections between ethics and aesthetics in our culture, the influence aesthetic can have on ethics, and the way aesthetics can sway an individuals, or communities, ethics. One’s code of ethics are an aesthetic choice that dictates how we are seen, interact with, and make changes in the world we live in.
- Pilar
Publications/Interviews/Write-Ups