Heidi Hooper



Heidi Hooper

About The Artist

Heidi Hooper • Tannersville, PA
Fiber and Textiles - Homegoods • CUSTOM COMMISSIONS

"Since the removal of most of my right arm muscle to cancer, I thought my career as a metalsmith and jeweler had ended. But I refused to give up. In a move that surprised even me, I ended up making art from dryer lint. As I progressed, my work became increasingly complicated and more detailed. I have since become the world’s premier dryer lint artist. Consumer Reports calls me “The Andy Warhol of Dryer Lint.” Ripley’s Believe it or Not features my work in their museums and in their books. I became a guest on ABC TV’s “To Tell The Truth” where the panelists (including Mel Brooks) had to guess which one was the real dryer lint artist. “Access Hollywood” had me as a guest and hired me to do a dryer lint portrait of their host, Mario Lopez. After so many years of sadness with my cancer treatments, I like to laugh. It pleases me when people say “dryer lint?” It’s definitely funny to consider what the art is made of, and my work has always had that thread of humor throughout it"



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Q&A with the Artist

Tell us how your work is made.

Very carefully! I have fans and friends who send me colorful lint, and I organize the lint into colors to use later. There is a layer of rubber cement to hold the first lint down, and the rest stays together as I slowly put it together. ""60 Second Docs"" did a short interview with me that shows some of the process: https://youtu.be/svKRPfSECrs


What makes you passionate about the medium you work with?

It's unique and makes me laugh! I love seeing people's reactions when they realize what the art is made from.

What is something unique about you or your practice?

Dryer lint, obviously! I am apparently the world's leading dryer lint artist, which is something I never expected to happen.