Forrest McGarvey

BIO

Forrest McGarvey is an artist and writer currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. In his interdisciplinary practice, he examines how we use objects, materials, and media to define our selves in our heavily technologized moment. He is interested in the constructed relationship with media and technology, and its effects on perception, culture, and performativity both on and off screen. His work has been featured as both an artist and a writer in multiple print publications and exhibitions across the Pacific Northwest. He received an MA in Visual and Critical Studies and an MFA in Fine Arts from the California College of the Arts.

STATEMENT

These collages are from a new body of work about notions of identity and performativity at the intersection of technology. I combine images collected online of the history of the Pacific, cultural iconography, and images from video games, film, and television that depict these places, to create still lifes and portraits influenced by my experiences as a mixed-race queer person. Each collage reflects on the performance of identity, presenting questions about ownership, embodiment, and legibility within the omnipresence of technology. Instead of accepting the predominate assumptions of representation, this body of work aims to resist what is recognizable in favor of the potentiality of what is illegible, exploring the simultaneous feelings of agency and disassociation one can experience in our public and private selves while expressing our identity.

Interview with Forrest McGarvey

Written by Andreana Donahue

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in becoming an artist? What were some early influences?

I remember being mesmerized by a book full of Herb Kāne paintings, various esoteric Asian watercolor paintings, Paul Cézanne, anime, Marvel comics, and video game illustrations, and taking photos on this plastic Kodak film camera when I was younger. Art stayed casually in my life as drawings until I was in college: I hadn’t declared a major and after some encouragement from friends, thought “I’ll give it a shot and see how it goes.” And now we’re here!

Where are you currently based and what initially attracted you to working in this community? Are there any aspects of this specific place that have surfaced in your work?

I’m currently based in San Francisco. It was described to me as a city full of queers, punks, weirdos, artists, misfits and chowder, so I was surprised to find it being viscously gentrified by tech companies upon arrival. However, all of those things have influenced my current work in one way or another—except maybe the chowder. Maybe.

Can you tell us about your studio space? What are some of the most crucial aspects of a studio that make it workable for you?

My studio space has been a desk in the corner of my apartment for a few years now. The most critical aspect is dedicated space where I can make a mess. When I had a larger studio, I was making these giant messy collages and ink drawings and it was 100% a mess. Now, my work is more print-based and smaller in scale. My space is still 100% a mess, I just take up much less space.

What is a typical day like?

A typical day of studio time usually starts with looking at what I’m currently working on and a cup of coffee. Depending where I’m at, some time will be spent reviewing my image library (a collection of screenshots and downloaded images that has been slowly growing for years) or looking for new images before diving in. I’ll end by looking for open calls or submissions.

What gets you in a creative groove? What puts a damper on your groove?

Sometimes I get lucky and will have an idea to pursue or something I wanted to try. More often than not it requires a bit of determination and then eventually I’ll hit a stride. Being interrupted can really take me out of it though, so being able to be alone and unavailable is crucial.

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?

Materiality is crucial in my work, both in its physical “thing-ness” and also as an index for that medium or material. I’m always really fascinated by the limitations of recognizing something as a specific media and pursuing how to reveal, break, or bend those systems. I’ve always enjoyed art that deceives its viewer somehow, and I try to achieve this in my work through mixing, altering, or manipulating material in the conceptual (screenshot) and physical (printing/cutting) sense.

Can you walk us through your overall process? How would you describe your approach to manipulating materials? What about decision-making and editing?

I’d say I work pretty intuitively. Usually, I’ll start with a composition: shapes sketched quickly on paper. I’ll then look for images that fulfill the composition, manipulating them and the composition as I go. As the picture begins to come together, I ask myself what is happening in the space, if it’s interesting, or how can I disrupt or push the narrative that has appeared—what is expected and least expected. I’m always trying to find ways to make my work tense for myself, hoping it will be the same for others. If something makes me annoyed and I can’t figure out why, I will spend some time dissecting those pieces because these annoying things capture my attention. I also scrutinize things that come effortlessly, trying to find out what can change to make that feel less comfortable. Unfortunately, this means work that I think is completed gets changed and the process starts all over quite often.

Can you talk about some of the ongoing interests, imagery, and concepts that have informed your process and body of work overtime? How do you anticipate your work progressing in the future?

I personally think that digital screens have influenced all aspects of our lives, particularly how we come to understand our perception of images. I always ask myself how does “Art” fit into this exponential catalogue of digital content, hyper-realistic computer graphics, virtual reality, and other types of commercial media. I see my work as an exploration of this relationship with our devices and by extension media, and how we use that as a way to define ourselves for better or worse. As long as technology continues to advance, as long as we continue to evolve our understanding of its effect on perception and visuality, and as long as we find new ways to connect with our devices, I believe it will continue to influence how I approach my work and think of images as a whole.

Do you pursue any collaborations, projects, or careers in addition to your studio practice? If so, can you tell us more about those projects, and are there connections between your studio practice and these endeavors?

I have previously published and enjoy writing about art. The academic and theoretical writing provides a lot of language for talking about, describing, and exploring the concepts present in my own work. The reviews provided a space to pose questions about art that I would eventually ask of myself and helped it evolve in that respect.

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?

Fortunately, since my work space has been in my apartment, I was able to keep working during the pandemic and I am forever grateful for the privilege I held to safely lock down. I had stopped making at the start of the pandemic and didn’t start a consistent making routine again until the end of 2020. The guilt of being able to work uninhibited while the world as we knew it crumbled outside was overwhelming, so I just didn't. There was a large part of me that felt making art at this time was irresponsible, selfish or not a priority over survival. But that same line of questioning allowed me to approach some ideas in a new light, eventually catalyzing this new body of work. In the end, the pandemic made me question the role of art in my life but also in a way reaffirmed it, as it was a helpful way to process—or at other times take a break from—what was going on.

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?

It’s a complicated thing for me to ask myself what I contribute to at a macro level. As much as my work does challenge existing systems of representation and optics, some of its success is validated through existing institutions and systems of value. Art is always positioned as this panacea to mediocrity or conformity—which I do believe it does well. But I wonder if that effect is cumulative or aggregate. Maybe, art isn’t meaningful because it is effective at dismantling. Maybe it’s meaningful because of its brevity? From that perspective, its ability to continue to contribute and persist feels a bit more potent to me.

Can you share some of your recent influences? Are there specific works—from visual art, literature, film, or music—that are important to you?

Alexander Chee’s book How To Write An Autobiographical Novel has been tremendous to how I approach thinking about both art and writing and how I fit myself into both of those things.

Who are some contemporary artists you’re excited about? What are the best exhibitions you’ve seen in recent memory?

Salman Toor, Lorna Simpson, Leonard Suryajaya, and Kai Althoff have been on my mind a lot recently. I just saw Wangechi Mutu: I Am Speaking, Are You Listening? at the Legion of Honor and the Nam June Paik show at SFMoMA and both were outstanding. So they’ve been on my mind as well!

Do you have any tips or advice that someone has shared with you that you have found particularly helpful?

“Do the dumb thing” and “Good art asks questions, not delivers answers”

What are you working on in the studio right now? What’s coming up next for you?

Currently stumbling my way through an exploration of triptychs and daydreaming about installations.

To find out more about Forrest McGarvey check out his Instagram and website.