Eugene Macki in the studio.
Eugene Macki
Eugene's practice is intimately associated with, and fundamentally interested in, four types of transformations: translation, rotation, reflection and dilation. He investigates how they each operate, as well as in connection to one another. Recent awards include the Gilbert Bayes Award by The Royal Society of Sculptors (UK, 2020); Creative Exchange Lab: Residency at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (USA, 2019); Residency Project at St. Augustine’s Tower, Hackney's Oldest Building and Grade I listed (UK, 2019); Fellowship at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (USA, 2018). Eugene Macki lives and works in London, UK.
Interview with Eugene Macki
Questions by Andreana Donahue
Can you tell us a bit about your background and where you grew up? In what ways have your early visual experiences and personal history led to art-making?
I grew up in Hackney, East London. I spent my childhood playing football (soccer) and travelling to different parts of England. I had great admiration for architecture, graffiti, skateboarding, Jazz or any form of expression that embraced complexity. I felt the world was complicated and I needed to find something that would help transform this feeling. The ambiguity surrounding my childhood led me to tolerate uncertainty and to explore the world through abstraction.
Where are you currently based and what initially attracted you to working in this community? Are there any aspects of this place that have surfaced in your work?
I am currently based in Hackney where I grew up. I get to see my parents and childhood friends while experiencing the changes and evolution of the town. There are aspects that have and will continue to surface my personal life, but none have yet entered my work.
Can you tell us about your studio and what a typical day is like for you? Do you share space or ideas with other artists while working, or is it a more solitary routine?
I have a private studio in a residential estate. A typical day is difficult to explain because there are no rules. I go to the studio and I stay in the studio. I prefer to be alone while working unless I am collaborating with another artist.
Opening Dialogue, 2019. Logs, rope, sand (performance installation), 2 x 9 x 9 meters.
What criteria do you follow for selecting materials? Do you prefer to maintain a narrow focus or work across diverse media? How do you navigate the limitations and possibilities that result from this path?
Selecting materials depend on the project or the work. I enjoy operating across diverse media. I am interested in limitation, the danger of such limitation, the possibility within the limitation, the possibility outside of what appears to be the limitation, how spontaneity and serendipity triggers and connects what might be possible.
Can you walk us through your overall process? How would you describe your approach to manipulating materials? What about decision-making and editing?
If I have answers to these questions, I would not be able to create. At least create the kind of works I am trying to create.
Can you talk about some of the ongoing interests, imagery, and concepts that have informed your process and body of work over time? How do you anticipate your work progressing in the future?
In my studio practice and the landscape work, I have been contemplating and exploring what it means to exist and the role of objects within this field of existence. I have also been interested in different types of transformations, and how things come to acquire new meaning. I am not sure how the work will progress in the future, but I am looking forward to the journey. The work will change and evolve. How such change and evolution occurs is an on-going exploration.
Short Wave, 2019. Logs rope, sand, 2 x 9 x 9 meters.
Do you pursue any collaborations, projects, or careers in addition to your studio practice? If so, are there connections between the two?
I pursue collaborations and projects. Each activity gives me a reason to step away from my studio practice or to coexist. The connections between are very loose. However, I believe each part will eventually connect. My interests in collaboration started a few years ago. I collaborated with Barbara Tong, who is a visual artist and we organized a large sculpture exhibition in London called ‘Void’. We invited 39 artists. I went on to organize other exhibitions and projects.
I occasionally collaborate with other practitioners. Michelle Boulé is a performer, dancer and choreographer. I met Michelle during my residency at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art in 2019. We both wanted to explore and ask questions. Tiona Nekkia McClodden is another artist who I collaborated with. I met Tiona during my residency at Skowhegan in 2018. We made an intricate work called ‘Beyond the Sun’. I have had many conversations with Arlene Wandara, Steve Hines, and many more.
As a result of the pandemic, many artists have experienced limited access to their studios or loss of exhibitions, income, or other opportunities. Has your way of working (or not working) shifted significantly during this time? Are there unexpected insights or particular challenges you’ve experienced?
The first UK lockdown began on Monday, March 23rd. I was alone in a house for five months. I made a conscious decision not to engage in art and production. I spent time on social media, but after a while I decided to delete every account. I wanted to do absolutely nothing. The idea of doing nothing or non-doing creates a series of intervals.
My curiosity was aimed at the perception of time, temporary consciousness, and measuring the existence of intervals while persistently participating in the act of non-doing. The experience of being alone during this period is what I consider to be mentally challenging and instructional. On top of the pandemic, you have racial discrimination, Black Lives Matter, and politicians making rash decisions. This moment in time highlights and reinforces the point that humans are very limited and we still do not know enough. Being alone created a distance that shifted my perspective on mental wellbeing.
Beneath the Sun,2018. Logs (performance/installation).
In a time that seems to be marked by uncertainty, collective anxiety, and increasing social unrest, why do you think the perspectives and contributions of artists remain meaningful? Do you feel a natural relationship exists between your work (or the role artists play more broadly) and confronting established systems - of power, cultural institutions, or otherwise?
The perspective and contribution of artists will always be relevant and meaningful because art provides an alternative voice that can only be sharpened by artists or those invested in the conversation. Within the alternative you have variations. The variations are a reflection of the community and the moods of that community which speaks volumes. Confronting an established system is what humans and animals have been doing since the beginning of time. The relationship with artists is not straightforward.
Can you share some of your recent influences? Are there specific works - from visual art, literature, film, or music - that are important to you?
I recently purchased a new keyboard and an electric guitar. I have a harmonica and a few other instruments that keep me excited and motivated.
Who are some contemporary artists you’re excited about? What are the best exhibitions you’ve seen in recent memory?
Anish Cherian in New Delhi, India. Hanna Kim in Seoul, Korea. Tiona Nekkia McClodden in Philadelphia. Michelle Boule in New York. Regarding exhibitions, I am not sure.
What are you working on in the studio right now? What’s coming up next for you?
I am doing some soft reading while learning to play new musical instruments. I have two exhibitions that have been postponed until spring 2021 at The Royal Society of Sculptors in London and Aspex in Portsmouth (UK).
