Erin has been given an Arts grant to take her and fellow co-creator Carly’s creation (named ‘Monster’) to Burning Man 2023; we pestered her with questions, and she answered!
Which (if any) Burns have you attended in the past? If so, do you have a favourite Burn memory?
This will be the first Burn for both myself and my co-creator Carly. It will be quite the intense introduction. Hoping to eventually bring Monster to Kiwiburn though.
Can you share with us the inspiration behind Monster?
Carly and I are big fans of play and interactive art so we knew we wanted to make a piece that incorporated both of these ideas. Monster went through a few iterations but we wanted to provide both a one on one experience of the artwork (ie: when a Burner rides the see-saw the Monster on the plinth dances with them) and we wanted the wider audience to experience the artwork (ie: be able to admire the sculptures from a distance). Finally, we decided that we wanted to have pieces that trigger a sense of nostalgia and spark childlike imagination and so Monster was born. A floppy pillow Monster.
What messages or emotions do you hope your artwork conveys to BM’s global audience?
Again we want to instill excitement, wonder and nostalgia. We want the community to have an individual and participatory art experience. Additionally, we want to demonstrate that large scale works can be made with waste materials. As Burning Man has committed to lowering their environmental impact we prioritised using materials that were destined for the landfill.
BM attracts art enthusiasts from all over the world. Are there any specific cultural influences or experiences that have shaped your art?
I can’t speak for Carly, who is a successful architect in Canada. As for myself I love accumulative art such as El Anatsui’s work, Ai Weiwei’s, David Altmejd, Sarah Sze, Gego or Nick Cave’s. I am also influenced by playful works like Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Yayoi Kasuma or Jess Johnson. All of these artists have inspired me and seeing their work in person has filled me with awe and a sense of the sublime, something I hope to inspire in others with my work. Of course there are a multitude of personal experiences that also shape my work but that would likely be a long read.
As an artist, participating in BM is a significant milestone. How do you see this experience influencing your future artistic endeavours? Do you have any new and exciting projects planned after BM?
The scale and complexity of the work has definitely been a learning curve and has really prepared me for this kind of work in the future. I would love to continue making site specific work in the future and participate in more “art events”. Additionally, it has made me reconsider my materials. I love making large pieces but it can result in a lot of waste so I have been looking at works that could be recycled after their use. I am currently working on a series of large scale paper sculptures, though it has been put on hold while I complete Monster, I am hoping to show them later this year or early next. I have also been playing with the idea of a giant tardigrade that can be climbed.
And that’s the interview with Erin! We’re especially excited about sustainably made art pieces becoming more of a prominent feature at Burns. I for one, hope to see this mega-tardigrade towering over the Paddock some day.
Image credit: Erin and Carly, a conceptual picture of Monster, with see-saw attached.
