M E E T MEET O U ROUR C O COMMUNITY MMUNITY
Brent Harris Local Artist & Faculty
Tell us about yourself—where did you grow up, and how did you end up in Kalamazoo? I grew up in Belleville, Michigan, a rural community on the east side of the state, past the exurbs of Detroit. My family was the first of color to settle there at the turn of the last century. Because of that, my family was close-knit, and we spent much of our time in nature, gardening and building. I came to Kalamazoo to study at Western [Michigan University]. I studied psychology for several years before switching gears and transitioning into the sculpture program. At the time, the department was focused primarily on metal fabrication and casting. The materiality and work ethic felt familiar to me: aligning my creative spirit with the industrial familiarity of the Midwest. Briefly describe your practice. My work is an exploration into the essential nature of connection using process and depth psychology. I believe every person, animal, element, nation, or culture has a story to tell of itself. I’m fascinated by the conversations between artist, material, and intention. In that conversation of creation and exploration we learn more about the essential nature of ourselves. When I work I listen to the material I’m interacting with, what its needs are, and how that is reflected back to my intention. When done with listening, the final resulting art piece is not only a synthesis of these interactions, but also the psyche speaking through the unconscious.
Being an artist also made me a better paramedic. I found the prehospital setting encouraged me to think of creative solutions to complex situations. In this I also realized that being an artist is much more valuable to me than the work I produced. Although art school taught craft and a degree of intellectual rigor, I didn’t choose to pursue what I felt to be such a narrow window of what defines an artist. That focus made me feel that unless I was creating a commodifiable object or new work for its own sake, I wasn’t of value. Making the transition out of art school into the “real world” was scary at first. So much of my identity was tied to being an artist, and if I wasn’t creating at the pace I was before due to lack of inspiration, outside obligations, work, you know . . . life, then who was I? The Alchemist Sculpture Foundry is located in Kalamazoo; what are the significant impacts or benefits of having a foundry (or arts organizations in general) in this region? The Alchemist closed its doors for good four years ago. We were a valuable asset to local and regional
How did you first get involved with Ox-Bow? I’ve heard great things about Ox-Bow for years but never had the opportunity to visit, until recently when a friend recommended me to run a foundry workshop. I’m grateful they decided to take a chance on me, as I’ve incorporated aspects of nature immersion into my work and teaching. You mention in your bio that you put art on the back burner. Do you have any words for young artists who are contemplating the same thing or who might be experiencing the pull to finally make art a full-time endeavor? Did being a paramedic influence your art practice? Yes, being a paramedic influenced my art practice. It made me more aware of the breadth of human experience. It made me consider the struggles we go through and the way our life’s stories are expressed through the body. As a figure sculptor, it gave me a deeper perspective of the human form and its vulnerability. (above) courtesy of Brent Harris; (opposite page) Cathy Hsiao, Study in Natural Dyes and Limestone-Based Materials, cement, hydrostone, indigo leaves, indigo crystals, iron powder, lac Insect extract, graphite, 4 in. x 4 in., 2021 - ongoing
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