Thank you for being a part of the Local community from our early beginnings four years ago! It brings us joy to be able to share your work, especially now as our country and world at large is going through some painful times. That said, you used just these conditions to develop this installation. Please tell us about the work and what was the moment you knew you needed to start developing it.
I was invited by a dear friend into a small artist's group that was made to keep us productive and provide artistic support during quarantine. That really shifted everything for me. It made me start using all the time in the house in a productive way. It kept me off facebook and away from the news. It gave me a way to start processing the fear and sadness into something creative. I want to share the hope that I found in my studio. I funneled the alternating fear and joy into these pieces. As the Black Lives Matter movement finally took off, I started on the large pieces. I began to think about my struggles with identity as a biracial person and have some healthy perspective on many of the things I've experienced. I spent a lot of time thinking about Black Joy and Black Sorrow and how they exist in the same space.
We installed the work last night and this morning at a very early hour with the sun just coming up, I found myself staring at the contrasting imagery and was moved. How were you able to pour yourself into these and capture so much emotion?
Time. That was one of the gifts of quarantine- time. My days were reduced and clarified and it gave me a lot of mental space. I practice yoga almost every day, and now that it's all virtual, I was practicing in my art studio. So I'd spend my time in my poses staring at these pieces and really trying to assess their validity. If they can hold my interest through a really tough pose, I know they're going in the right direction!
You mentioned that cutting up the work and reassembling was a major transition for your work. Can you speak to this a bit?
Yes, this is new to my work since quarantine. I think seeing the world fall apart gave me permission to take my work and just cut them; do something that seems violent to them. But I did it with the goal of rebuilding new pieces from the cut-ups, much like what we've gone through over the past months: we watched things fall apart and we are putting it back together in a new way. I came to my own understanding about what was at stake in our world. The work had to reflect the intensity of what was happening or it wouldn't hold up against the new reality.
We continue the Artist Residency at Local, even in these difficult times - as we understand how art is a critical element in helping to understand and heal our communities. What do you hope could be an outcome of displaying this work?
I hope that people will be able to see that this difficult time is also full of beauty. The fear and sadness and uncertainty can go hand-in hand with moments of joy and tenderness and compassion.
What has living in Montclair meant for your work?
Living here has allowed me to let go of the pressure of living in the city. It's incredibly expensive to have a studio in the city and I found myself working so much to pay for a studio that I could barely use it! Montclair has given me a lot more space, both physically in the studio and mentally to create with less pressure.
What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?
Matcha Latte or a Breve Cortado
Learn more about Meaghan here