Fulbright, Sweden
I completed a Fulbright, Fellowship at the University of Gothenburg, HDK Steneby in 2015. The Fulbright was a transformative experience both tangible and intangible for my family and me. Our time in Sweden was life-changing and wonderfully enriching. The creative, diverse educational culture that is present at Steneby was like no other I have experienced. At Steneby, material is the departure point for conceptual inquiry and new knowledge, and I am certain this "makers way" of thinking will have a long-lasting impact on my teaching and research.
One of the projects I worked on while in Sweden was an experimental interdisciplinary collaboration with printmaking professor Jon Swindler from the University of Georgia. With this project, we attempted to blur the boundaries between printmaking and sculptural installation. "From Here to There" was the result of this amazing collaboration. The exhibition was at the University of Gothenburg's HDK School of Craft and Design, Steneby Konsthall.
This experimental creative experience was very refreshing for my artistic practice. The process of making art collaboratively leads to the suspension of individual identity. As a collaborator, you often find your ideas, and your colleague's ideas do not necessarily gel. Sometimes your egos nudge, bump, clash or even synchronize with one another in a shared form – a shared experience. I have found that this process can lead to unintended and often more interesting results than the individual studio experience.