ARTIST BIO

Sean Tyler is originally from Tulsa Oklahoma and still considers that her hometown. She received her BFA in studio art from Rogers State University in 2019 and MFA in painting and Drawing at the University of Iowa in 2023. She splits her time between teaching and making and showing art. Her work has been on display widely in Oklahoma, as well as in New York, Seattle, Italy, and elsewhere. Tyler does a mixture of fiber arts, particularly embroidery, crochet, and fabric dyeing. Her work focuses on portraiture, intangible experiences, and the revolution of cell phone photography.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am a fiber artist and painter working with the female form and creating tactile representations of the intangible. My identity as an artist is formed by my identity as a woman, specifically as a queer woman in traditionally male dominated spaces. My work centers around trying to find an alternative to the ‘male gaze’ through collaborating with my models. I work to present a new vision of appreciating and respecting bodies; all the while dealing with assumptions and biases from a patriarchal and conservative culture. With selfies I have the chance to present images of people as they wish to be seen.

I want to liberate all my subjects from the male gaze and present a new model, based on my subject’s self-presentation and a spirit of collaboration. My selfie project represents people as they choose to share themselves through the photos they take. Cell phone photography has democratized portraiture and given everyone with a device the ability to create their own visual identity. This embroidery has evolved into soft sculpture that exist as soft versions of a life sized devices. Embroidery also allows me to make the intangible and digital tactile and solid and record fleeting digital experiences.

Tulsa, OK / United States