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biography
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for artists
interview
Elizabeth
Jouan Greeene of Berkeley conducted the following interview with Patrick
McGannon during January and February of 2004.
ame dynamic applies to sculpting.
Q:
What impelled you to be a sculptor?
A: I think that for many people involved in self-expression
or producing art, there is a sense that one has perceived an
element of reality - whatever that is - or perhaps even the
essence of reality, that is not generally recognized or perhaps
so obvious that it is often overlooked to our detriment; so
there is a real need to express this intuition in order for
the artist to validate that perception as well as share it with
the world at large and contribute to our understanding of "reality."
For me, I was indeed impelled to sculpt out of this undeniable
desire to both validate and share this intuition, however ridiculous
or sublime.
Q: You have a law degree and a graduate degree in Landscape
Architecture. How did that training prepare you to be a sculptor?
A: The law degree has been important to the development of my
intellectual understanding of systems based on specific principles,
which, to me, pretty accurately describes, at least in one way,
the sculptures I produce. Systems of law and government are
designed, in theory, to realize a principle or set of principles
and to produce a positive effect through a process. When the
effect falls short of the ideal, it is always the design or
the process that are lacking, though not the principle itself.
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My
MFA in Landscape Architecture, as you can imagine, had greater
direct application in preparing me to be an artist, though mostly
through the great educators under whom I had the great fortune
and honor to study. Four of my professors at UC Berkeley come
to mind immediately as their lessons are ones I carry with me
everyday. From Chip Sullivan, I learned artistic sensitivity
and the power of drawing; from Walter Hood, I learned innovation
and creative expression; from Randy Hester, I learned integrity
and commitment; and from Joe Slusky, I witnessed what it is
to be truly an artistic "muse." Each of these teachers
possess an unshakeable fearlessness, which is probably the most
important preparation for life as an artist in that you actually
have the courage to call yourself such.
Q:
How did you learn the techniques of sculpting?
A: The formal training I have had has been under sculptor
Paul Block and sculptor Joe Slusky while at Cal. However,
the fact that I have been a professiona
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gardener
and designer for most of my life has aided me a great deal in the
intervening years in that I found that creating spaces, digging in
the soil to be quite similar to carving stone. Thus, I found when
I was introduced to sculpting with stone, I had a certain aptitude
and comfort with the medium that surprised even me.
Q: Who are your influences?
A: Well, that's difficult to say because I believe that any artistic
expression, by definition, represents the culmination of the entire
history of art in all its breadth that preceded it; in other words,
art is created in specific contexts with traceable or identifiable
precedents. With that said, however, I am very much drawn to the work
of Constantin Brancusi, in an aesthetic sense, though we approach
the subject matter from very different point of view or emphasis.
Other sculptors I like are Giacometti and Noguchi, and, of course,
Michelangelo. The painter Georgia O'Keefe has also had a strong influence
on my work, particularly her sense of provocation. My favorite contemporary
artist is Andy Goldsworthy.
I think a good deal of art is influenced by factors or personalities
outside of the world of art itself. For me, my work is very much influenced
by existential philosophy and the non-dual spirituality of Buddhism
and mystical Christianity. I think most art concerns the expression
of either existential joy or existential angst; but a small portion
is devoted to the nature of existence itself, without any particular
judgment about whether its joyful or not. I hope to be considered
in this category.
Q: Where do the ideas for your sculpture come from? Do you work from
drawings or maquettes, or both?
A: There is a good deal of variation in the development of an idea
to an actual piece. Often, I will start to notice a particular form
in the physical world and then will see it again and again in a variety
of contexts and this repetition of that form catches my attention.
I start to investigate it more closely and try to learn its secrets,
how it is connected to and reflective of the universe. I will often
draw the form to see how I might integrate it into a three dimensional
piece and from these drawings, the initial idea for a sculpture emerges,
though only as a starting point, the final piece often varies a great
deal from the initial drawings. The drawings are really just a way
to remember the different ideas running through my head at that moment.
If, for some reason, it seems important that the form I have been
thinking about be expressed in a very specific way, I will make several
small clay maquettes in order to be sure that I can actually achieve
that form with the particular stone I have in mind for it, with the
same composition and proportion. "begotten"
is a good example of this type |
Another
important source of ideas for my sculptures comes from investigating
a specific type of human relationship or constructed dynamic
and translating that relationship into a form that communicates
its essence. Sometimes, this means looking at the meaning of
symbols of symbols of symbols For example, "matriarch"
reflects the roles that we assume in life in different
contexts and the forms reinforce those symbols. Many times,
the sculptures are the result of, or a combination of both approaches.
Q: When you begin a new work, what is the starting point?
A: Once I have identified a form or relationship and have investigated
it to see universal applications, so to speak, I usually try
to describe it as succinctly as possible, hopefully in one word
or short phrase. This description more often than not becomes
the title for the ensuing piece and the guiding concept behind
it. Everything from that point forward will relate back to that
idea, so whenever I reach an impasse in the actual process,
I can resolve it by following the course of action that reinforces
the initial concept most clearly or forcefully.
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Q:
Describe your studio, your work environment and how it bears
the mark of your work? What is the discipline or rhythm of your
workday?
A: Even though every indication is to the contrary, I still
believe that the hallmarks of a true artist are humility and
gratitude. So, every day before I start to work a light several
candles at two small shrines I have in my house, which is also
my studio, and I ring a bell three times to mark the beginning
of the practice, just to symbolize to myself how fortunate I
am to do this for a living, such as it is.
After
this ceremony and determining what music I will listen to
while I work, I usually sit in front of the stone I happen
to be working on and make a list of what I would like to accomplish
that day. The lists are extremely helpful in organizing your
thoughts as well as in motivating you to continue working
after having completed one task. They also provide me with
a handy record of what I worked on in a particular day and
how long it took to accomplish a specific task. I probably
spent up to a quarter of my time looking at the stone from
different angles and checking the work as it progresses. I'll
also photograph the piece every other day or so. I usually
finish each day by cleaning the work area and taking care
of the tools.
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Q:
What attracts you to a stone? Does the stone inform the work
or does the work inform the stone?
A: My favorite type of stone is alabaster, which is a fairly
soft stone, but which offers a great deal of color variation.
I select stones generally based on whether is has the volume
to accommodate the sculpture I have in mind and has the appropriate
color for the theme I wish to express.
While working, there is a lot of give-and-take between the stone
and the sculptor, which is ultimately resolved by accommodation.
I have to recognize the physical limitations of a particular
stone or risk ending up with just a pile of rubble at the end
of the process. But, it's still exciting in that I'm often "forced"
to innovate when the stone dictates a certain direction and
I have to find a new and often radically different way of expression
the same initial thought.
Q: How do you know when a piece is complete?
A: Well, there are several ways or several different indicators
that I have completed a piece.
The first way involves a lot of honesty on my part in that I
have to ask myself if I have given everything I have to the
particular piece, have I stayed true to the initial concept
and have I seen it through as best I can? These are tough questions
to answer since they can involve a great deal of additional
time and work when I might be anxious to complete a piece.
Another, more pleasant way, to know is that while working on
the stone, it literally begins to "sing" at a certain
point where the proportions often seem to be just right, kind
of like the harmonics you hear when running your finger around
the rim of a crystal glass. If I'm |
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with a rasp or file, I'll start to hear these tones and I know that
I'm getting close to a complete piece.
Q: Describe your principles of composition? Is it a subjective,
feelings-based approach or is it more a design based on visual perception?
A: There is certainly a strong intuitive element to my compositions,
but "design" also inherently plays a big role. I suppose
that the thematic proportions drive much of the composition, if
you will, that I wish to express, so that the predominant part of
the piece has to possess that proportional quality in relation to
all other parts of the piece.
If the piece is derivative in nature, or from nature, I will take
whatever cues I can from the form, as it exists in different contexts
in the physical world, since it exists there in what could be considered
a "perfect" state. Still, though, I always consciously
endeavor to have the "piece" and its base work as one
integral unit, such that you really couldn't have one without the
other. I think that "daybreak"
and "mighty
fin" are the clearest examples of this integration.
Q: Your work has an extraordinary sensitivity to volume and mass
and the interplay of voids and protuberances. Why are these relationships
important to you?
A: Well, in one way they are the sculptures themselves, of course.
For me, they are how I attract attention to whatever the themes
I wish to express. In the same way, the textures of the stone, whether
they are left rough and untouched, or are highly polished or somewhere
in between serves the same function of drawing the viewers attention
to the core meaning of the piece from my perspective
Q: Wholeness has a quality of its own that differs from the sum
of its parts.
Do you conceive the whole as an assemblage of details?
A: No, the whole and the details are inseparable in my mind, or
that the whole itself is a detail itself. It's like fractals, which
are mathematical equations that are used to chart the universe;
they have unlimited detail which are always reflective of the overall
structure.
When I referred to Brancusi earlier and his influence on me despite
our different approaches, I think we are both concerned with details
that reflect a larger or deeper meaning, but of a different quality.
He once said that when one thinks about a fish, it's not the scales
and fins that we think of, but the glimmer of light we see in it
movement. Well, for me the details at the level of the scales and
fins are important because it is these things that make the glimmer
and movement possible.
Q: Do you think of sculpture purely as an aesthetic object?
A: My first reaction is to say, yes, since they are objects that
(hopefully) have some aesthetic qualities. But really, that's only
the case in the most superficial case. I think sculptures are the
artist him or herself, their story, their perspective, etc. And
maybe with sculpture, more than other media, it's impossible to
separate the artist from the work. So when you see a Brancusi or
Noguchi, you are really seeing into the soul of that artist.
Q:
How do the concerns of your life come into your work? What preoccupations
do you have that appear in your work?
A: Surprisingly, and happily, the concerns of my own life haven't
been able to invade the bubble in which I sculpt, at least at any
conscious level, though I'm not sure why that is. Of course, thematic
concerns are always present as I seek to express them, but day-to-day
anxieties seem somewhat powerless against the creative energy present
while sculpting.
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Q:
What's going through your head when you sculpt?
A: Again, happily, I find it's somewhat a rare instance in my
life of pure concentration and engagement, much like yoga. So,
it's just this rather odd dialogue between me and a piece of
stone!
Q: How you deal with the isolation necessary to create art?
A: Well, in a way, it's an exercise of remembering to forget!
Isolation is really just a perception or a construct. I often
think of this quote from Albert Einstein where he says, "I
live in that solitude that is painful in youth, but delicious
in the years of maturity." So, it's a perception that changes
over time and is therefore of dubious validity in my view.
However, at a very practical level, contact with other human
beings is also essential and I'm aware when several days have
passed without a conversation with another person, even though
my dog is a good listener. So, having both routines and rituals
in my life that remind me of my connection to others and to
all things generally. Starting my days with a ritual, like lighting
the candles at my shrine, help a great deal. |
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Then,
trying to adhere to some fairly regular work routine, help me to see
the context in which I work as one of solitude, rather than isolation.
Q:
How has your work evolved?
A: The work seems to evolve on its own. What has really evolved
for me is my commitment to the work itself and my understanding
of its place in the world, to the extent that it has one.
Q: What would you like viewers to take away from your work?
A: Hopefully, the piece itself! But seriously, I would hope that
viewers would spend enough time considering the piece to try to
decipher what I had been trying to accomplish, enough to realize
that no aspect of the piece is accidental, that it's more than just
a pretty object as we discussed earlier.
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Q: Why do you want to carve stone in the 21st Century when
we have so manyother materials and forms of communications available?
A: Three reasons come to mind right away. One is that carving
stone is one of the few wholly subtractive art forms. Most other
types of sculpture involve adding a variety of components together
into a desired composition. While carving stone, I find it very
challenging to make decisions that you then have to live with
because there is no way to add material back to the stone. Stone
carving in this way, to me, is most like life itself and, as
such, I think it has taught me how to live in many ways.
Another element of stone that attracts me is something that
we often overlook, which is that it is a material that hundreds
of thousands of years old. When I'm working on it, I often think
about how and when it was formed and that I have the great privilege
to be working through layers of history. This connection to
geological time gives me a sense of humility about where we
humans fit into the life of this planet.
Finally, at a very personal level, the stone never refuses me
or the love I wish to express to it and through it. It's always
there, always receptive, and for this I am eternally grateful.
EG:
Namaste.
PM: Namaste.
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history. This connection to geological time gives me a s ense
of humility about where we humans fit into the life of this planet.
Finally, at a very personal level, the stone never refuses me or the love
I wish to express to it and through it. It's always there, always receptive,
and for this I am eternally grateful.
EG: Namaste.
PM: Namaste.
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