Philmont, USA. Natalia Gillespie is an artist-in-residence at Free Columbia. Through her work—which spans photography, videography, and sculpture—she blurs the boundaries between body and earth. An interview about the relationships between art, nature, and society.
What first inspired your interest in the connection between body and nature?
I began to observe this connection more deeply when I started college at Bard, nestled in the forests along the Hudson River. Having grown up in cities, my engagement with nature was mostly limited to camping trips, and visits to the beach when I lived in Los Angeles. Living in a rural environment has been a gift. I spend time observing plants, animals, and the changing seasons, developing a sense for the rhythms that shape the natural world. Over time, I recognized a deep kinship between these rhythms and my own emotional and spiritual life.
The first natural formation that became central to my work was the cave. I began photographing caves because I related to their vast interiority and shadow, seeing them as embodiments of our inner lives as well as symbols of femininity and the passage of time.
When you begin a new work, what are you usually driven by? What does your creative process look like?
It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where my work comes from because art emerges from such a mysterious place. We are often simply coaxing imagery into being, slowly pulling on a thread. My inspirations shift with the medium I am working in, but they are often rooted in my environment. Recently, I have been collecting found objects from salvage shops and the street and using them as points of departure. I have also become interested in site-based installation, where the space itself acts as a collaborator and container for the work. Certain forms, textures, and images that have drawn me throughout my life continue to reappear of their own accord, and my role is to synthesize them.
Why are artists important for human society?
I could speak for hours about the importance of art, but from my own experience, it is what makes life beautiful and worth living. Being sung to by a friend, composing a meal, or drawing someone a picture are small artistic acts that bring me into gratitude. Art making is a practice of attention, intention, and prayer. In a world where human activity often leaves a heavy footprint, art offers another possibility: that our individuality can take form as a gift—creating meaning, beauty, and connection in the lives around us.
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Photos and artworks Natalia Gillespie
