We are a writer, printmaker, installation artist, and two photographers who first met as Jentel Foundation residents in the winter of 2013. We shared strong work ethics, deeply respected one another's creative work, and laughed a lot during our month at Jentel. All that, in addition to our shared love of landscape and its creatures, inspired us to begin working on a collaborative project in which we would continue our relationships with the geography, our art, and one another.
What is the beast? During our month at Jentel, we spent a lot of time exploring the landscape, which flowed into evening conversations about what it means to be human and our relationships with other animals. The idea of "beast" emerged and led us to talk about literal, psychological, and spiritual interpretations of the word. As artists, we all wrestle with the beasts within, both positive and negative, including inspiration, doubt, fear, and joy. The beasts in our work are both literal and allegorical.
What does it mean for four visual artists and a writer to work collaboratively?Because we are geographically diverse, from Kentucky, Montana, Colorado, and California, we Skyped once a month to share our ongoing work and to plan the installation piece for this show. The process involved a lot of talking and listening, and more laughter. Each of us created individual pieces in response to our conversations: paintings, photographs, prints, and tiny stories. The project evolved as a result of these conversations, culminating in this show and collaborative installation piece, Tributary.
We are grateful to both the Jentel Foundation and Sagebrush Community Art Center for providing us space, support, and community for our work.
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