Living her early years in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kirsten Stolle was greatly influenced by food movement politics of the 1990s. As a vegetarian looking for alternatives to the industrialized food system, the Bay Area provided a rich resource. With the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in 1996, she began examining this controversial technology with both an aesthetic and consumer’s eye. Since 2008 she has been creating drawings and collages addressing the overwhelming impact of biotechnology and agribusiness on our food supply.
Stolle received a BA in Visual Arts from Framingham State College, and completed studies at Richmond College
(London, England) and Massachusetts College of Art (Boston, MA). She currently lives in Western North Carolina.
www.kirstenstolle.com

ANIMAL PHARM #1
collage on paper
30 x 22 inches – 76 x 56 cm
2014

What’s your background? When did you first become interested in art?
For as long as I can remember I’ve always been interested in making things. My first strong memory is as a 5 year old, setting up an art table in front of my bedroom window, complete with paper, paints, markers, pencils, crayons, glue, string etc. I loved the solitude of being in my room by myself, surrounded by colorful art supplies and left to my own creative devices.
To this day, I cherish the time and space my studio affords me. Being a visual artist can be somewhat of a solitary existence, but one that pushes me to be present and engage my creativity at the richest level.
I was raised in Massachusetts and in the 1990’s moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue my art. After a string of unsatisfying corporate jobs, I committed to become a full-time artist and secured my first gallery in 2000. After living and working in California for 19 years, I decided to return to the east coast of the United States relocating to the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

What subjects do you deal with in your art? What has influenced your work?
Central to my work are themes relating to biotechnology, genetic engineering, and agricultural systems. I’m specifically interested in the global influence agricultural and pharmaceutical corporations have on our food supply and the connection between corporate interests and public health.
Many of my projects deal with current science based concerns and challenge the ongoing popular narrative. The idea that art can bring new perspectives to contemporary scientific issues is very exciting to me.

Can you tell a bit about the inspiration behind Animal Pharm series?
I listen to a lot of public radio while working in my studio. I first heard the term Pharming used during a program that discussed bioengineering animals for pharmaceutical needs. For example, I learned that goats, through a variety of DNA insertions, were being re-engineered to produce various human proteins in their milk.
These proteins are extracted from the goat’s milk and then used to produce a variety of therapeutic drugs. Many of these transgenic dairy animals live on controlled university farms, often funded by the U.S. Government and the pharmaceutical industry. After hearing this broadcast I had so many questions and concerns regarding this type of drug making effort. What are the ethics involved in mixing human genes with animal genes? Who is monitoring the health and well-being of the animals? How are these transgenic animals and their milk being kept out of the general population?
After spending time researching the Pharming business, there seems to be inadequate safety and regulatory oversight, and transparency by both the pharmaceutical companies and the FDA is fairly staggering. In my mind, the ethical and social concerns along with the unintended consequences of this experimental science needs to be further investigated and brought to people’s attention. The title Animal Pharm plays off Orwell’s dystopian fable “Animal Farm” and investigates the controversial use of genetic modification in animals by the pharmaceutical industry. Just as Orwell’s writings warn of total government control, my collages suggest a world where technological advances may very soon be out of our control.
You explore the complex relationship between economy and ecology, could you explain more about this aspect of your research? The relationship we have between the economy and ecology is a complicated one. For instance, most people would like to slow or stop climate change (ecology) but are unwilling to reduce their energy use or get rid of their cars (money). We’d like to have cheaper food (economy) but at the expense of reducing farms to monocultures and chemical-intensive farming (ecology). In my work I examine the tension between these two systems and explore creative ways to express the frequently dark side of this relationship.

ANIMAL PHARM #5
collage on paper
30 x 22 inches – 76 x 56 cm
2014

How has your work developed over the years?
My early work centered on creating abstractions based on natural and human forms. I concentrated on mark making as a means to explore repetition and allusion, in conjunction with uncomplicated and sparse compositions. Over the past 5 years, I have shifted into making work based on my sociopolitical concerns. A large part of my practice involves research.
I generally spend several months reviewing and synthesizing research materials, before sitting down at my drawing table. As I work on each new project, it is important to create pieces that engage both aesthetically and conceptually.

Tell us about Genetically Commodified project.
I learned about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in 1996. Genetically engineering food sounded like some futuristic technology, so I didn’t give it much credence. It was only after having some of my own health issues with soy products, that I became acutely aware of the potential health risks of eating foods that contains genetically engineered ingredients.
The fact that 90% of the soy, corn, and canola in the Unites States have had their genetic material altered through the insertion of bacteria, viruses, or gene splicing is overwhelmingly scary to me. And that the U.S. FDA has allowed GMOs into our food supply with limited oversight, inadequate safety testing and without labeling, is something that speaks to the larger systemic issue of the increased corporate influence that big agribusiness companies like Monsanto, Dow and Syngenta have within our government.
Food is something we have to eat every day and without proper labeling, we are unable to make informed health choices for our families and ourselves. Culturally, we get our information through mass media, television, the Internet, and newspapers.
Generally we hear short sound bites or see a compelling graph and then we move on to the next story.
As a visual learner, I wanted a platform where people could spend some time looking, engage with the work, have the opportunity to ask questions, form ideas of their own or simply be drawn in aesthetically by the medium.
Historically art has been a terrific medium for engagement, activism, social and personal change and I felt I could create a compelling narrative through this type of work.
My project Genetically Commodified explores the consequences of introducing GMOs into our food supply and local plant ecologies. Familiarity with issues affecting our industrial food chain is steadily increasing, but unfortunately awareness of GMOs throughout the United States (as compared to Europe and other developed countries) still remains low.
The project works across mediums (drawing, installation, sound) to create an integrated environment where the audience can engage and reflect on the influence of GMOs. The title, Genetically Commodified, refers to commodification of nature and the manipulation of genes for profit. We live in a world where economy trumps ecology, a society where food is no longer seen as a form of nourishment, but as a product. In your work we find a lot of information: GMOs, mass production, globalization, human relationship with nature and technology… we can say that your artistic research is also political communication.

ANIMAL PHARM #4
collage on paper
30 x 22 inches – 76 x 56 cm
2014

What do you think of political art?
Yes, my work is definitely underpinned by topics that have a political framework and hit upon contemporary social issues.
For me, political art and artists who strive to make socially conscious art, is most successful when something new can be added to the existing narrative and the conversation moves forward to the point of encouraging critical thinking.
Political art can be provocative or relatively quiet, but is always grounded in direct critique. Great artists have the ability to reframe and readjust people’s thought processes simply by observing and creatively reflecting back what is often too scary or daunting to witness.

What role should have an artist in today’s society?
Artists have this remarkable ability to creatively interpret and explore alternative ways of thinking. I believe my role is to create compelling work that stimulates thoughtful conversation and invites viewers to consider additional viewpoints.

What artists have influenced you?
Early on I was influenced by traditional Japanese paintings, 18th century botanical drawings, and minimalist architecture. More recently I feel inspired by artists such as Wangechi Mutu, Ellen Gallagher, Eva Hesse, and The Yes Men.

What do you hope people will take away from your art?
I hope people come to the work with a sense of curiosity. I’d like my art to be accessible, yet seem a bit odd or uncomfortable in a way that engages them to take a second look. I hope my work allows for people to consider the unexpected and gain an increased sense of awareness.