Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184230
1 1 6 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 9 Would you like to introduce yourself? We are both socially engaged artists and educators. Forrest: I grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in a small college town of Athens, Ohio. Athens is home to Ohio University, where I received my BFA in Ceramics. I also went to school at the University of Florida, where I met Jeni. I received my MFA from Louisiana State University. Jeni and I were married in 2012 and have been helping each other or working collectively in one way or another ever since. We moved to Macon about two years ago and are currently finishing up our one-year artist residency at Mill Hill. Jeni: I'm originally from Grand Haven, Michigan, a small beach town where my parents operated a Bed and Breakfast. I have enjoyed the company of different people throughout my life. First as guests in my home and now through interactive and socially engaged art projects. What is social engagement art and why does it appeal to you? People. It's all about the people. What is it like to collaborate and create with a partner? It is far more rewarding than working alone, but significantly more challenging. We appreciate that working together means we can use our personal strengths. For example for the Commemorate Macon exhibition, we conferred and conceived the project together. Jeni initially worked with the clay, throwing and trimming all of the plates. I concentrated on creating the digital images. This included taking the photographs, creating line drawings for the screens, and using our die cutter to create stencils that register perfectly with the screens. Together we decorated, glazed, fired and prepped the plates for hanging. What does "being creative" mean to you? It is a way of living. Often times people find out we are artists and they ask if we draw. This limited view of what an artist does or can do has led to the use of the word creative. To us the word creative is interchangeable but the meaning, which is deeply embedded in us, is a way of being and living that we find is hard to define. What inspires you? Forrest: So many things. I'm inspired by everyday life. I'm inspired by games. My research behind the work explores the psychology of child's play versus adult play. Adults and adult play, or more like the lack of it, interests me the most. Right now, much of my inspiration comes from mundane activities that are a part of adult life that could be turned into a fun activity or a game. Jeni: I'm inspired by people, places, culture, and food. My creative work is always spun from a life experience. For example, last night I was having dinner alone and I couldn't read the menu because it was in a different language. Two gentlemen sitting next to me asked if I needed any help translating and within minutes invited me to have dinner with them. I moved over to their table and enjoyed an evening with two strangers. When asked about my work, I told them that I am interested in people, relationships, and food. After that moment, I wondered how this experience could be reconstructed in another context, yet still be meaningful and challenging for others. Last night's meal might be the start of a future project. These are the types of experiences that fuel me! What kind of creative patterns, routines or rituals do you have? The only constant ritual is drinking lots of herbal tea all day long. For real though, we work in cycles because it is impossible to always maintain a demanding studio practice while also keeping up with all of the other responsibilities in our careers and personal lives. We tend to overwork ourselves and create large-scale, super intense projects that can take several months to complete. Then we take a break and switch gears to thinking, planning, grant writing, submitting applications, catching up on emails, and trying to plan an adventure and unwind. It is helpful to be partners who work as a team. Sometimes we work together and other times we split up. Original Work by Ester Lipscomb Q&A with Mill Hill Resident Artists Jeni Hansen Gard & Forrest Sincoff Gard