S/PLI/T: What was the process of your collaboration? How did your ideas for this exhibition develop?
Jessie: Jeremy and I are super into casual, comfy time. We basically sat on our sofa and stream of consciousness went back and forth about what things we had been thinking about lately. We started talking about indulgence: emotional and material. Tied to that were ideas of self-obsession and egocentricity. At some point in the conversation we started developing the idea of a secret corner of a way fancy garden. That led to us googling images of Babylon and hanging vines and all sort of ancient luxuries. Eventually we came to the idea of the glutton as a over-indulgent and privileged figure. And here she is today!
Jeremy: Oh yeah a lot of our initial image searches stemmed from my preoccupation with jungles/rain forests and dense foliage as a place of wonder and terror. At some point Jessie saw a picture on Tumblr of a ritualistic place of worship, and we decided to approach the space as an altar, which led to the searches for the ancient gardens of Babylon. It seemed that each image we found had some iteration of a lounging exotic beauty among botanical luxury, and these kinds of images were perfect as a symbol for excess and indulgence.
S/: Did you learn anything new about your own work through the process of collaborating?
Jessie: Jeremy and I always discuss our own work with one another but we haven't constructed a joint idea like this before. My favorite thing about working with him is he helps me push my ideas, clean em up and iron em out. He's decisive in a way that I am not and it helps me stay focused when I'm working. I also think we can accomplish more together and be more ambitious about what we make, so it helped me think bigger.
Jeremy: I tend to be a very private maker, toiling in the studio on painting after painting, sustaining a kind of tunnel vision which I have trouble breaking out of, so the collaboration created the opportunity to do a little call and response, throwing ideas over and seeing what came back.
S/: What materials are you using for this project? Did you choose them for aesthetic/structural reasons, or do they hold different meaning?
Jessie: for me, the function of the materials is all aesthetic.
Jeremy: My material choices are based on ease of use and accessibility. I've worked as a carpenter and metal fabricator for the past five years,so I have access to a lot of tools and materials related to those trades.
S/: What does the word "glutton" mean to you/your practice/this project?
Jessie: indulgent without critical reflection.
Jeremy: Yes, this.
S/: Can you elaborate on the character of the "little glutton"? Who is she, how did her character and physical form develop?
Jessie: the little glutton is drunk, lazy and full. She is isolated and indifferent. She grabs, consumes and reclines. She's pretty unlikeable.
Jeremy: But also enviable. She wants for nothing, ignores what's out of sight, lives this life for her and her alone.
S/: The PDX Window is a smaller exhibition space than you are probably used to. How did size play into the development of your installation?
Jessie: for me, since I normally make sculptures, it was interesting to think about a piece that would only be viewed from one side. The size definitely influenced our decision to do one installation rather than multiple pieces.
Jeremy: I was stoked since I've been wanting to test out an immersive version of my painting for some time and the space was the perfect size. The irony, of course, is that it can only be viewed through a window.
S/: What's next? Do you see yourselves collaborating in the future afterdoing this project?
Jessie: I'd be into it! Oh and we're gonna get married.
Jeremy: We sure are. It'll be our greatest collaboration.
Jessie: Jeremy and I are super into casual, comfy time. We basically sat on our sofa and stream of consciousness went back and forth about what things we had been thinking about lately. We started talking about indulgence: emotional and material. Tied to that were ideas of self-obsession and egocentricity. At some point in the conversation we started developing the idea of a secret corner of a way fancy garden. That led to us googling images of Babylon and hanging vines and all sort of ancient luxuries. Eventually we came to the idea of the glutton as a over-indulgent and privileged figure. And here she is today!
Jeremy: Oh yeah a lot of our initial image searches stemmed from my preoccupation with jungles/rain forests and dense foliage as a place of wonder and terror. At some point Jessie saw a picture on Tumblr of a ritualistic place of worship, and we decided to approach the space as an altar, which led to the searches for the ancient gardens of Babylon. It seemed that each image we found had some iteration of a lounging exotic beauty among botanical luxury, and these kinds of images were perfect as a symbol for excess and indulgence.
S/: Did you learn anything new about your own work through the process of collaborating?
Jessie: Jeremy and I always discuss our own work with one another but we haven't constructed a joint idea like this before. My favorite thing about working with him is he helps me push my ideas, clean em up and iron em out. He's decisive in a way that I am not and it helps me stay focused when I'm working. I also think we can accomplish more together and be more ambitious about what we make, so it helped me think bigger.
Jeremy: I tend to be a very private maker, toiling in the studio on painting after painting, sustaining a kind of tunnel vision which I have trouble breaking out of, so the collaboration created the opportunity to do a little call and response, throwing ideas over and seeing what came back.
S/: What materials are you using for this project? Did you choose them for aesthetic/structural reasons, or do they hold different meaning?
Jessie: for me, the function of the materials is all aesthetic.
Jeremy: My material choices are based on ease of use and accessibility. I've worked as a carpenter and metal fabricator for the past five years,so I have access to a lot of tools and materials related to those trades.
S/: What does the word "glutton" mean to you/your practice/this project?
Jessie: indulgent without critical reflection.
Jeremy: Yes, this.
S/: Can you elaborate on the character of the "little glutton"? Who is she, how did her character and physical form develop?
Jessie: the little glutton is drunk, lazy and full. She is isolated and indifferent. She grabs, consumes and reclines. She's pretty unlikeable.
Jeremy: But also enviable. She wants for nothing, ignores what's out of sight, lives this life for her and her alone.
S/: The PDX Window is a smaller exhibition space than you are probably used to. How did size play into the development of your installation?
Jessie: for me, since I normally make sculptures, it was interesting to think about a piece that would only be viewed from one side. The size definitely influenced our decision to do one installation rather than multiple pieces.
Jeremy: I was stoked since I've been wanting to test out an immersive version of my painting for some time and the space was the perfect size. The irony, of course, is that it can only be viewed through a window.
S/: What's next? Do you see yourselves collaborating in the future afterdoing this project?
Jessie: I'd be into it! Oh and we're gonna get married.
Jeremy: We sure are. It'll be our greatest collaboration.