Sienna Martz’s Ethical Life-Practice

Sienna Martz, Echoes of Earth, courtesy Soapbox Arts

By CARLOTA GAMBOA August 27, 2024

Maybe it’s the vantage point granted by the expansive eye of social media, but it seems as though fiber art is experiencing a kind of renaissance. Maybe it’s the accessibility of knitting and crochet, paired with do-it-yourself tutorials that show people how to participate in their own clothes-making, but there’s a special sense of pride associated with finishing your own doily tank-top or patterned vest. A reclamation of some lost agency linked with the ability to determine how and what is worn, a joy in knowing you’ve produced a part of your own wardrobe by hand.

These online communities of artists don’t just give back to their following through art-making or by sharing patterns and techniques, though that is an undeniable perk. They help broad audiences realize that the medium itself can be far more expressive and experimental than the darning of a sock. Don’t get me wrong, sock darning is some of my most valued personal skills, but fiber arts, a medium which has for so long been subjected to the confines of “craft,” goes far beyond the universe of functionality. It is not exclusively tied to the domestic realm.

Fiber artist and climate activist Sienna Martz is someone who traverses the expectations of what can be done within the realm of textile sculpture. A Los Angeles native, Martz grew up in a home with two other creatives—her father is an artist and her mother worked as an editor in fashion magazines—who gave her a sense of creative freedom and encouraged her to pursue the different mediums which piqued her interest. When we speak, she mentions that she’s tried several mediums before finding that fabric was the best fit for her. “I struggled with material, none of it felt quite right,” is how she puts it. However, things changed when she tried working with fabric as the base of her practice. “Fiber felt aligned,” she says. “It’s a contemporary take on material manipulation rather than something more two-dimensional. In contrast to wood, fiber is more forgiving. There’s a finality in the way wood feels cut into, even clay. Fabric just felt softer and more familiar.”    Then there’s the ancestral connection that’s present when working with textiles. “It’s the oldest art form known to man,” she says, also citing how inspirational predecessors from the fiber art movement like Sheila Hicks, Louise Bourgeois and Eva Hesse have been to her practice.

Sienna Martz. Photo: Patricia Trafton

The direct conversation with the past is not only a personal one, like the quilting of grandmothers or great-grandmothers that came before us, but a collective one. By weaving dozens of thrifted garments together, Martz wants viewers to reflect on the dangers of  overconsumption. Martz describes her work as a gentle form of activism, and despite finding the process of joining previously unrelated items poetic, the purpose of her recycling is to make as minimal an impact as possible.

Mimicking organic forms in their shape, the pieces inevitably provoke thought. There is a palpable desire to remind the viewer that nature is a prevailing entity, capable of outlasting the determinants of human intervention on the planet. Her first solo exhibition, on view at Soapbox Arts from August 15 to September 28, 2024, in Burlington, Vermont, explores these themes of balance between nature and humanity. Entitled Echoes of Earth, the show is a culmination of the last several years of her practice, but also serves as an opportunity to explore some of her existing concepts more in depth. Martz tells me that the show, on a large scale, wishes to play with the function of evolution, specifically in question to the adaptability of nature, and how it asserts its dominance to eliminate human influence. She wants the sculptures to replicate overgrowth, “seeming to grow or burst out of the walls.”

Sienna Martz, Echoes of Earth I, 2024, upcycled fabric, organic kapok fiber, bamboo felt, thread, and eco-friendly paint mounted on birch panel, 46” x 35” x 3.5”

During our conversation, Martz also talks about her ethical veganism. She was raised a vegetarian, but the progression of her lifestyle choices and that of her art practice have grown hand-in-hand. This personal shift is reflected in the fabric selection of her pieces. The companies she invests resources in are the ones she feels ethically proud to represent with her work. Even recycled polyester is a no-go. Martz chooses to work with organic fibers and companies that focus on developing plant-based options for retailers. While on the phone, she tells me that despite working with second-hand clothing, only 15% of what is donated gets reworn. “It’s not about donating what you no longer want, it’s about buying less.”

Martz once worked as a coordinator for PETA’s fashion campaigns, so she’s seen different ways of fighting for the principles she believes in. She’s seen firsthand accounts of what textile industries do, not just to animals but to the environment, and wants to help educate others. Martz wants to leave her art-activism mark on the work, and communicate how personal discovery weaves into her practice. This may be one of the many reasons she began working on her coffee-table art book. Set to be released in 2026 by Lantern Publishing, The Ethical Fiber Artist will be an overview of fiber art history in addition to an encyclopedia-style summary of different organic fibers and their origins. Exclusive interviews with other vegan artists will also be featured in Martz’s first ever written offering to her medium.

Martz’s work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in publications like Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House & Garden. Her sculptures make up public and private collections, all the while luxury hotels, art consulting firms, dance companies, and non-profit organizations have also commissioned her artwork. Her most recent major commission comes from The Royal Botanical Gardens in the suburbs outside of Toronto. Their upcoming exhibition has gathered different fiber artists from all around the globe, and Martz has the honor of being selected as the show’s finale. 

To learn more about Sienna Martz, please visit her website and follow her on Instagram @siennamartz.art WM