Erik Speer
There are limited times where Hunter & Folk has profiled a marine biology scientist, scuba diving instructor, doctor, fashion designer and artist, but Erik Speer defies the usual scope.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson | Photography: Courtesy of Erik Speer
In the early days, Erik Speer considered art a hobby, but the calling to fibre art became impossible to ignore. It was a serendipitous opportunity, interning for NYC fashion stylist Rachel Zoe, when someone asked Erik if he knew macramé. "I had learned to never say no in the fashion design world,” the artist explains. "I immediately googled ‘what is macramé’.” After saying yes, Erik had a week to learn the basics — with his experience working on boats with knots coming to good use!
An off-hand comment from his boyfriend led to the artist’s first full-size macramé wall-hanging — and sharing it to Instagram saw the commissions started rolling in! Three years later, after working on his art over weekends, Erik began to focus solely on macramé.
“I often try to mimic patterns and shapes I’ve seen in nature,” shares Erik Speer.
“I’ve always considered myself a wild child that’s more at home in nature than in human civilization,” says Erik Speer.
“I still have trouble calling myself an artist. It’s something I struggle with because I never set out to become one… It excites me, though, because there is no limit to what you can do.”
A traveller by nature, Erik first jetted off on an independent trip at 15. After quitting his doctor training, fearing being stuck in a hospital for the rest of his life, the artist moved to Honduras to begin scuba diving instructing; swapping countries once the tourist visas expired. "I made my way around the globe over the course of 2 years," Erik remembers. Travelling and seeing the nature of the world inspires his macramé wall-hangings, yet the artist feels like a whole other person, free of social anxiety, under the water.
“[I often take a] step back and realise things don’t go together or don’t flow together nicely, and I’ll have to reconfigure the whole thing. I’ve learned you can never force anything, and it’s best to let things come together naturally.”
“Nature is the world's best designer, and I’m in awe of the small little details that make up life in our world,” Erik adds. “Coral reefs are for sure a reoccurring theme; not necessarily purposely, but perhaps because I feel most at home on a reef." These details are apparent throughout the artworks, the weavings taking the shape of underwater worlds, complete with loops, crystals, knitted tassels.
“My pieces come about very organically. I usually have a basic rope base where I map out different sections with traditionally macramé… I have a whole drawer filled with different ideas and techniques that haven't even made on a piece yet,” says Erik Speer.
Unlike the colourful coral reefs remembered in the early days of diving ventures, Erik's wall hangings are void of colour — similar to the climate-change bleached reefs now seen across the world. And poetically, the artist's first two-tone piece features coal black. Erik avoids colour to allow the materials and techniques to shine. "It can all get to be too much and become just a mash of too many ideas,” he muses.
“I’m always trying to find ways to recycle or reuse old materials and breathe new life into them.”
Erik avoids colour to allow the materials and techniques to shine. "It can all get to be too much and become just a mash of too many ideas,” he muses.
“I’m always trying to find ways to recycle or reuse old materials and breathe new life into them,” says Erik Speer.
Looking forwards, Erik's next projects will explore upcycling old furniture, and bring the macramé into people's environment. Sustainability weaves throughout Erik's practice — leather pieces are old scrap, and he sources overstock yarns or materials out of production from contacts in the fashion industry. "I also have purchased old sweaters and taken them apart for the yarn,” he adds. “I spend lots of time online buying old vintage yarns from estate sales and grandkids cleaning out grandma’s attic.”