175. Lee Emma Running on 'Opera Coat' and How Art Can Be Used to Explore Our Relationship with the Natural World

Lee Emma Running is an artist who sculpts with animal bones,
glass and precious metals. She uses her work to engage audiences
in conversations about the impact of human-built systems on the
natural world, and explore the intersection of art and science.


Running’s work “Opera Coat” was unveiled on Nov. 11 at Kaneko,
the culmination of her year-long residency with Opera Omaha.
“Opera Coat” is an enameled cast iron sculpture, embellished with
copper and bronze. It’s a direct cast of a coat in Opera Omaha’s
costume wardrobe, meaning each piece of the sculpture is cast
exactly from the fabric. The piece is on display at Kaneko
through Feb. 11 and here is Running's conversation with Michael
Griffin.