Gregory Hatch: That's All Folk!

Gregory Hatch

Artist Statement

woolgathering 

: indulgence in idle daydreaming 

Thoughts can come at me at a lighting speed, compelling me to consider the worst, the absurd, and the unlikely. In recent years I received a diagnosis and direction that gave me a sense of agency that I have striven for most my life. The way my mind works and how I process the world and information around me is defined as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or intrusive thoughts. I have moved away from striving to change the thought process to working with it to live a more functioning life. 

Felting has become an integral tool in expressing myself and giving form to my thoughts. The process of layering and molding the wool fiber into images mirrors my efforts to ground myself in day to day life. My work strives to engage the viewer through story and allows the information to be filtered through iconography from my own life. 

That's All Folk is a series that builds upon a decade of exploration into the felting process and building confidence in my image making. I am inspired by queer comics, folk horror, weird fiction, cartoons, folk magic, and personal rituals. I intentionally chose to only use undyed and naturally dyed wool to explore the varied possibilities of a limited palette.