What do jazz and digital embroidery have in common?

Part of the answer is in this small interview I did on Jazz88 FM.
https://www.jazz88.fm/2020/04/20/artist-susan-hensel/

Radio host Emily Reese has been interviewing artists during the “time of COVID” to see what and how they are doing! What I am doing is this: updating my website, writing blog posts, and, yes, plodding forward finishing some larger pieces, and testing out ideas. I talked about the business side of art. I also spoke about how I work improvisationally at the embroidery machines and how I got started in machine embroidery.

Experimenting and improvising in response to Donald Judd: WHAT??

I am, as we speak, testing out some silk dye processes for some tiny, little pieces inspired by giant Donald Judd aluminum boxes! Reading in the Art History Library at the University of Michigan in roughly 1970, I discovered Donald Judd in Art Forum Magazine. It was a jaw-dropping, catch my breath moment. Even in print, the work swept me off my feet.

Last spring, I visited his town, Marfa, TX. It was hot, dusty, a bit too precious. But I cannot stop thinking about it. There is a magnificent retrospective of his work at MOMA, and I was supposed to be there this very week. I was going to visit his New York studio. See related shows at Gagosian and Zwirner. You can see a video about the MOMA show here: Judd|MoMA Exhibition. I was also going to make appointments with a couple of specific galleries.

This is the second of 3 trips canceled by COVID! But, I can still dream, read, look at pictures, and experiment with my machines as I am, once again, inspired by a master.

Jazz 88.5 interview