Land sandwich, anyone? How about a pink-frosted stalagnate cake? Claire “anything can be made of fabric” Krüeger layers hers with silk, cotton, corduroy, and found pieces of plastic from the Ohio River. Recently, the Kentucky fiber artist has begun incorporating these discarded plastic fragments into her geologically inspired textiles, using them to represent water droplets or sewing notions (small sewing tools and accessories).
“I’m beginning to realize that I love creating plastic water,” says Claire, who also incorporates sequins into pieces like “Wet Web” to give the impression of reflective raindrops. “It’s also interesting to realize that plastic is nearly as permanent as rock, so including plastic in geology-themed works feels pretty fitting.”
With a background in video, illustration, zines, and fiber arts, Claire specializes in multimedia projects that reflect her passion for geology, botany, and the communities she’s called home. By weaving together disparate mediums and materials, her work captures the particulars of different environments, opening a dialogue about the relationship between nature and the materials we create with. “I’ve always been drawn to landscapes in varying ways,” Claire says. “Because the only constant is my own environment, I’m often trying to connect to the place where I am. Whenever I’ve moved between regions and climates, I’m always struck by the details that make them unique, such as native plants and local geology.”
Claire’s focus on the character of each landscape shines through her work, where she illuminates the gradual, often-overlooked passage of time and its effect on our surroundings. In her Land Sandwiches series, for example, she stitches together cutaway sections of the Earth’s strata—layers of rock and sediment that reveal our planet’s age, past climates, and biological evolution. “Time feels linear to humans, but the measurements of time around us are less so,” Claire explains. “The lifespan of rock formations is much longer, but they transform like we do. Their changes simply happen over many of our lifetimes.”
Scroll through to read our interview with Claire Krüeger, then head to our February 2025 exhibition, Pantone 2025: Mocha Mousse, to see her submission.
In Today’s Q+Art Interview…
Claire Krüeger discusses her collection of Muppets and puppets, the dystopian naturalism of Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach Series, and why she loves gaudy color combinations.
What are you listening to in your studio right now? Make us a mini playlist.
Claire Krüeger: I make a playlist every month of what I’m really into. Here are some perennial faves from my last two months:
Bully, “Change your Mind”; Smudge, “Impractical Joke”; The Suburbs, “Love is the Law”; The Woolen Men, “Change Life”; Joan Armatrading, “Back to the Night”; Otis Redding, “That’s how strong my love is”; Dionne Farris, “Hopeless”; Bob Seger, “Train Man”; Steely Dan, “Dirty Work.”
What’s something you keep in your studio that would surprise us?
CK: Puppets! I have some puppets I’ve made for a web series I co-host called Dig In! that is about regional science and queer identity. But I also have a collection of old Muppet puppets and Henson dolls. The puppets live on a display rack that I made to look like the arches in the intro to the The Muppet Show. I also have a lot of vintage camera toys. I love ephemera from different eras.
Tell us about your favorite books. How do they inform or influence your work?
CK: I’m a big fan of the Southern Reach Series from Jeff Vandermeer, and I think of them often in my work. Since the ecology within the books has been irreversibly changed, I can’t help but see the parallels in Vandermeer’s work to our climate crisis. The dystopian natural scenery of the book is easy—when I’m exploring outside and run into surreal, overgrown, abandoned, lush places I often think they’d fit right in with Area X.
Over the last few years, I’ve been reading quite a few books about natural science, and certainly, the specific themes in the books find a way into my work. I’m currently reading Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us by Ruth Kassinger. I’ve been getting really excited about how dynamic seaweed is as I get deeper into the book.
You’ve been involved in the zine community for many years. How has your experience in DIY culture shaped your perspective on accessibility in art and media?
CK: I love getting to meet younger artists making zines—we’re all there to share our work and ideas in a fluid medium. It constantly reminds me how nice it is to be part of a supportive, creative community. No hierarchy, no guidelines on the “right” or “wrong” way to do something. It creates a level of freedom in my personal practice where I can turn off a judging voice and make whatever I want with whatever materials suit me.
What are some of your favorite color combinations? Why?
CK: I’m not sure I have a favorite color combination, but I love gradients of all types. I want everything to seamlessly fade together, and when I combine fabric or yarn, I think about how each neighboring color’s relationship feels. I also love bright, gaudy, campy, combinations because they feel like joy.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
CK: I’d like to be more present and carry less emotional weight. But it’s a journey I’m working on!
What do you wish you had learned in art school but weren’t taught?
CK: Teaching strategies. I learned about presentation and grant writing, but since teaching is such a natural transition for an artist, I wish I had been offered some framework. I’ve learned by doing over the last decade, but in hindsight, I’m so surprised that wasn’t part of my MFA studies.
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
CK: Listen more closely to your inner voice than any outside of you.
Claire Krüeger: Website | Instagram
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. All images published with permission of Claire Krüeger; featured photo: “Soft Rock.”