CSA co-founder Erin Nathanson spoke with fall share artist Jordan Fowler about being a sculptor, his aspiration to exhibit works in public spaces, and learning from a young age that building things is second nature.
EN: What creative goals do you have on the horizon?
JF: I really want to push past the boundaries I have been working in for the last couple of years. Specifically, I am interested in experimenting with new materials and making some of my work into installations and hanging pieces rather than just individual objects.
EN: How has being at the College of Charleston and having access to the sculpture studio shaped your studio practice?
JF: It’s made all of the difference and has been a tremendous shortcut to diving straight into difficult work. The investment into the tools and space required to make my sculptures is an enormous expense and is increasingly difficult in the growing Charleston area. Access to the studio has given me a nice buffer zone while I accumulate my own tools and also offers me the ability to carry out other small projects which can be used to fund my sculpture. As a studio manager, I help students on a daily basis and I get a lot of inspiration from the creative things they are constantly generating.
EN: Do you work on multiple pieces at a time? Before you begin a piece how do you prepare?
JF: I always work on several pieces at a time, mainly because I get better ideas halfway through the creation process and my mind can’t rest until I begin the new idea. This generates a lot of incomplete projects that keeps me busy on a handful of pieces at once. Most of my work starts by playing with metal scraps and is then recreated on a larger scale. The preparation for this work involves either finding or making enough interesting building blocks to keep me on a creative path.
EN: What’s your earliest experience with sculpture? Which artists do you look to for inspiration?
JF: You could argue that my roots in sculpture stem from my fascination with making things as a child, especially with LEGO’s. I’ve built things with my hands my whole life but I was never passionate about sculpture until I began college and saw that I could create anything I could dream of in the studio space.
EN: Do you think sculpture has a place in Charleston? Are there opportunities for you to share your work easily?
JF: I think there is a growing space in Charleston for sculpture. It’s a growing city with businesses and public spaces that are increasingly spreading from the downtown area. The center of Charleston is beautiful and artistic on its own, but its expansion will need new ideas and new work to maintain its artistic reputation.
EN: Where will your work be one day? What is your dream exhibition location/institution?
JF: Hopefully outside in public areas. I’d love for my work to be a person’s favorite place to sit outside during their break at work. I also like the thought of making large sculptures that are found in distant places, such as a clearing in the middle of acres of woods.
EN: What do you do in your spare time?
JF: I try to spend time with my dog when i’m not busy in the studio, sometimes I will try to go surfing if the weather permits. In reality, most of my spare time is spent in the studio making sculptures.
EN: What advice do you have for aspiring sculpture artists?
JF: Become an expert with as many materials as you can. There is always a way to physically accomplish something that you think of; learning a variety of skills, tools, materials has been the most helpful thing for myself.
Artist Jordan Fowler at the 2015 Meet + Greet.
Jordan Fowler is one of the Fall share artists.
PURCHASE JORDAN’S SEASON
