Water to Magma: Exploring Volcano Answers
- rattlesnakemag
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
By Sunny Bostwick
Meredith Stoudenmire creates under the name Volcano Answers. As a student at the Atlanta College of Art, she became entranced by volcanoes, all that goes on underneath and inside of one. High Water Mark, a solo exhibition of Stoudenmire’s work, opened at the Warehouse Theatre in downtown Greenville on June 5th. The exhibition coincided with the run of the play Enemy of the People.
Stoudenmire’s paintings span various mediums, including a series of watercolor pieces inside the entrance to the gallery. These contain scenes of water, a campfire, and a chair that says “CALL ME.” Each painting has an underlying sense of turbulence, wilderness, uncharted ocean. The exhibition explores the physical body of volcanoes and breaks them down into individual parts, most notably featuring the image of a continuous, red, rope-like magma chamber.
As the viewer progresses through the gallery, the paintings turn into self-portraits of Stoudenmire holding a magma chamber, her skin striped black and white, a plume of vapor and ash rising from her head. To get more insight into her work, I had the opportunity to interview her.
You have a lot of unique color choices. Why is the smoke blue and why is the boat yellow? I would also appreciate more insight into why the volcano, both as a person and not as a person, is depicted in repeating black and white [stripes] like a circus tent.
Well the black and white stripes just kinda came to me when I was doodling while in a meeting at work. I wish I still had that drawing. Later I did see that I was unconsciously channeling Beetlejuice. As far as the primary colors- Red is for power, the magma chamber. Yellow is for motion, the impetus, vision. Blue is for bravery. It seems very Kindergarteny right now. :)
Why are there a handful of pieces featuring mixed media works? Additionally, why did you transition to watercolors?
I love watercolor so much. During Covid, I was furloughed from my job for 6 weeks so I started making these little landscapes with the volcano as a flying creature, passing through deserts and cities and country roads. I turned those into a book about being brave.
Can you tell me about the physical location across this series of artworks? What journey is the figure going on?
A spiritual one.
Can you elaborate on the pieces [of the volcano] both technically and thematically? Why does the magma chamber and magma itself resemble a rope?
I was in a gallery in New Orleans and there was a piece featuring a cowgirl with a red lasso, she was holding it over her head in a loop, like Wonder Woman. I had to steal that.
I adore your use of repeating shapes! They look like coastlines in some works, such as in High Water Mark 1.
Yes, exactly! Like the band of red clay around Lake Hartwell when the water is low. The High Watermark series is just me working out some feelings about looking back on the past and noticing times that were markedly better. Up and down. It’s part of the American Dream, I think, the idea that our lives are supposed to get better and better. Or our culture. It’s disappointing when we realize that’s not true. I’m practicing not being attached to the outcome.
You mentioned during the gallery opening that you view fires as a “volcano lite,” where they share similar properties. How does this apply to your work thematically and to you as a person?
Fires feel like they want to be volcanoes but they’re just something we have to pass through on the way. I probably said “fake volcanoes.” But you know they lure you in with their heat and dancing flames. I’ve had to break free from lots of fires in my life.
You can find more of Stoudenmire’s work at the places below, where you can also find her book, Imagine Flying.