PUBLIC SPACE ONE
Collaborative duo John Engelbrecht and Kalmia Strong (aka Fluxion)
Artists, community organizers, curators, educators
(interview conducted with Kalmia Strong)
Iowa City, IA
Collaborative duo John Engelbrecht and Kalmia Strong (aka Fluxion)
Artists, community organizers, curators, educators
(interview conducted with Kalmia Strong)
Iowa City, IA
Kalmia Strong (Program Director) & John Engelbrecht (Director)
"Public Space One is an artist-run, nonprofit arts organization that aims to:
• provide an independent, innovative, diverse, and inclusive space for making and presenting art
• provide cultural educational opportunities, and
• advocate for the importance of art in everyday life for any and everyone."
• provide an independent, innovative, diverse, and inclusive space for making and presenting art
• provide cultural educational opportunities, and
• advocate for the importance of art in everyday life for any and everyone."
For the past 8 years, Public Space One has been a safe space for creative minds to come together in downtown Iowa City. Ps1 consists of a performance venue, gallery, kitchen, artist studios, zine distro and a community printmaking shop (also known as Iowa City Press Co-op). Ps1 offers affordable workshops, events, performances, kitchen rentals, printmaking equipment, studio residencies and more to the public. Ps1 emphasizes accessibility and what they call "small a art" - providing an inclusive atmosphere for anyone whether they identify as an artist or not.
Photo by Zak Neumann, Downtown Iowa City Magazine
"Kalmia Strong is a graduate of the University of Iowa Center for the Book and a bookmaker, artist, librarian, curator/researcher, and community arts organizer. Collaboration and participation are vital parts of her creative practice, which spans bookmaking, printing, and installation. Kalmia is interested in zines and alternative publications and the role of book objects and practices in cultural resistance and social change. She has taught letterpress, silkscreen, zine, and bookmaking workshops to children and adults, and is the book arts editor at PromptPress, resident bookbinder at the Paper Nest, member of the Drift Plain Collective, and program director at Public Space One."
L: So the first question is about the projects that you're involved in that incorporate collaboration. How do you incorporate collaboration into your artistic practice or in your classroom?
K: For me, doing PS1 is a part of my artistic practice so it is a very involved exercise in collaboration that shifts depending on what the projects are. And a lot of things end up being sort of logistical and administrative but I still consider that being part of my studio practice... My own creative interests have to do with the idea of people's presence in a space, how they relate to each other and what sincerity means... and just how people interact in these very minute ways. And so I always feel like I'm working on that when I'm doing PS1 related projects because that's always the underlying thing. So it's a big part of my research.
K: For me, doing PS1 is a part of my artistic practice so it is a very involved exercise in collaboration that shifts depending on what the projects are. And a lot of things end up being sort of logistical and administrative but I still consider that being part of my studio practice... My own creative interests have to do with the idea of people's presence in a space, how they relate to each other and what sincerity means... and just how people interact in these very minute ways. And so I always feel like I'm working on that when I'm doing PS1 related projects because that's always the underlying thing. So it's a big part of my research.
L: There are so many collaborative efforts that you've been involved in!
K: Yeah, I feel like almost every single thing that I do is collaborative. I very rarely work on stuff by myself, because I think it's just my inclination. I can give an example of something of what people would consider a 'legitimate' creative project and something that's more of a program of Ps1. I think you were around when we did the People's Pyramid Project?
L: That was before my time.
K: Okay, that was before you came. It was in September of 2014. We had this informal group here of people who were interested in collaborating with each other to create a public art project for an exhibition that we [PS1] were going to have that was about reframing the city and how people approach the city through art. This group is still exists but it's very, very informal and people move in and out of it, or participate or don't participate - depending on what they're doing at the time. It's an interesting exercise in collaboration because at some points we actually have projects that we want to complete, so it requires some negotiating on people's involvement or commitment, and how to carry on the development of an idea over time in order to complete a project. Also, how to keep it open enough for people to jump into and be involved in even if it's for a short period of time. I feel like that's how PS1 tries to operate collectively, overall. We really need people who are committed to being on board for projects for the long-term but part of our idea of collaboration and collectivity is making sure there's space for other people to be involved temporarily, or to feel welcome as one of our creative collaborators. This is what we also did for the People's Pyramid - we had a core group of people who kept showing up to create a one-day long public art piece that was a large-scale inflatable structure that people could enter into. And then there were a lot of people who would sometimes show up or were able to just participate on the day of the event, which was really important.
K: Yeah, I feel like almost every single thing that I do is collaborative. I very rarely work on stuff by myself, because I think it's just my inclination. I can give an example of something of what people would consider a 'legitimate' creative project and something that's more of a program of Ps1. I think you were around when we did the People's Pyramid Project?
L: That was before my time.
K: Okay, that was before you came. It was in September of 2014. We had this informal group here of people who were interested in collaborating with each other to create a public art project for an exhibition that we [PS1] were going to have that was about reframing the city and how people approach the city through art. This group is still exists but it's very, very informal and people move in and out of it, or participate or don't participate - depending on what they're doing at the time. It's an interesting exercise in collaboration because at some points we actually have projects that we want to complete, so it requires some negotiating on people's involvement or commitment, and how to carry on the development of an idea over time in order to complete a project. Also, how to keep it open enough for people to jump into and be involved in even if it's for a short period of time. I feel like that's how PS1 tries to operate collectively, overall. We really need people who are committed to being on board for projects for the long-term but part of our idea of collaboration and collectivity is making sure there's space for other people to be involved temporarily, or to feel welcome as one of our creative collaborators. This is what we also did for the People's Pyramid - we had a core group of people who kept showing up to create a one-day long public art piece that was a large-scale inflatable structure that people could enter into. And then there were a lot of people who would sometimes show up or were able to just participate on the day of the event, which was really important.
L: Yeah! I feel like coming from that to academia, it's a little bit harder to get involved sometimes. I really miss that about PS1 and the Iowa City Press Co-op. I feel like what you're doing is really important and makes it a lot more approachable [laughs].
K: That's something we work really hard at to do, and I don't feel like we're always successful but it's on high on the list of priorities for how we operate. It makes things really difficult sometimes and a lot of hard work. For example, if you had a collective of five artists who were just wanting to work together, do their own thing and just produce work together - that's really a different thing. And it doesn't necessarily take less work, but there's less thinking about people beyond that group. When we're collaborating, we think beyond the group of people collaborating so other people can join if they want to. So it ends up being sort of laborious in certain ways.
L: Why do you think artists form communities?
K: My experience largely comes from being in Iowa City and being a part of the art community here and Ps1. I think that some people don't want to do that. I've definitely met artists who are happy doing their own thing but a lot of people want to have - not necessarily collaborators - but being in an environment where other people have similar philosophies, goals, interests and ways of related to the world as they do. Also, I would say it has to do with collaboration too - even if it's not directly. I know I've gotten so much out of just being around other people while I'm working on a project and having them give feedback. Feedback seems like a really important part of that. It also has to do with artists for whom art is a way of imagining different possibilities for the world. That's the way I think about art. I think it's a lot easier to think of new possibilities for the world if you're working with other people to do that. So, I think making communities seems really natural. Whereas if you're approaching art largely from the perspective that there's some sort of artistic genius - like a more traditional, modernesque approach to art. You know, that older idea of what art is and what artists do.
L: Yeah, I'm definitely finding that a lot in the research.
K: Actually I've been working on a couple of projects right now that have to do with Dada, because it's the centennial of the Dada movement. So, I've been looking at their work a lot and a lot of the Dada artists in Europe were operating collectively. I think that relates to having this interest in critiquing visual culture, so I think it makes sense for them to do this together because they were trying to do something in relation to the world at large not to just create art in a vacuum.
L: I'm also interested in how PS1 models itself off of the Fluxus movement because I've definitely been looking into the movement to see how it influences art practices today. Can you talk a lot bit more about that?
K: To a large extent that comes from John and me, because we're both interested in Fluxus. That's been a large influence on what he does and therefore what PS1 does since he's been involved with it for 7 or 8 years now. A lot of it directly comes from Joseph Beuys specifically... in terms of thinking about social sculpture. Social sculpture is something we have specifically referenced for Ps1 as a model. Also, the idea that art can be a much broader range of things then it has been traditionally defined as and including people who may not consider themselves "artists" as co-creators of the work. I think this idea goes back further than Fluxus, but that was the first time it really became articulated or documented. We also just like to do weird stuff. That's one of the things people associate with Fluxus - doing things that maybe aren't considered art as art. Doing something weird in public is certainly a streak of what we like to do here.
L: That reminds me of the band of non-self identified musicians. The THUGGOON band?
K: We actually just did a THUGGOON project. It was the weekend right before the election I think it was the last really fun thing that I'm going to do for a while. [both laugh]... We basically just ended up going to College Green Park with our instruments and building this temporary structure out of PVC pipe, wrapping it with ribbon and yarn and hanging instruments from it and playing some weird noise music in the park. And that was it! It was certainly very Fluxus influenced.
K: That's something we work really hard at to do, and I don't feel like we're always successful but it's on high on the list of priorities for how we operate. It makes things really difficult sometimes and a lot of hard work. For example, if you had a collective of five artists who were just wanting to work together, do their own thing and just produce work together - that's really a different thing. And it doesn't necessarily take less work, but there's less thinking about people beyond that group. When we're collaborating, we think beyond the group of people collaborating so other people can join if they want to. So it ends up being sort of laborious in certain ways.
L: Why do you think artists form communities?
K: My experience largely comes from being in Iowa City and being a part of the art community here and Ps1. I think that some people don't want to do that. I've definitely met artists who are happy doing their own thing but a lot of people want to have - not necessarily collaborators - but being in an environment where other people have similar philosophies, goals, interests and ways of related to the world as they do. Also, I would say it has to do with collaboration too - even if it's not directly. I know I've gotten so much out of just being around other people while I'm working on a project and having them give feedback. Feedback seems like a really important part of that. It also has to do with artists for whom art is a way of imagining different possibilities for the world. That's the way I think about art. I think it's a lot easier to think of new possibilities for the world if you're working with other people to do that. So, I think making communities seems really natural. Whereas if you're approaching art largely from the perspective that there's some sort of artistic genius - like a more traditional, modernesque approach to art. You know, that older idea of what art is and what artists do.
L: Yeah, I'm definitely finding that a lot in the research.
K: Actually I've been working on a couple of projects right now that have to do with Dada, because it's the centennial of the Dada movement. So, I've been looking at their work a lot and a lot of the Dada artists in Europe were operating collectively. I think that relates to having this interest in critiquing visual culture, so I think it makes sense for them to do this together because they were trying to do something in relation to the world at large not to just create art in a vacuum.
L: I'm also interested in how PS1 models itself off of the Fluxus movement because I've definitely been looking into the movement to see how it influences art practices today. Can you talk a lot bit more about that?
K: To a large extent that comes from John and me, because we're both interested in Fluxus. That's been a large influence on what he does and therefore what PS1 does since he's been involved with it for 7 or 8 years now. A lot of it directly comes from Joseph Beuys specifically... in terms of thinking about social sculpture. Social sculpture is something we have specifically referenced for Ps1 as a model. Also, the idea that art can be a much broader range of things then it has been traditionally defined as and including people who may not consider themselves "artists" as co-creators of the work. I think this idea goes back further than Fluxus, but that was the first time it really became articulated or documented. We also just like to do weird stuff. That's one of the things people associate with Fluxus - doing things that maybe aren't considered art as art. Doing something weird in public is certainly a streak of what we like to do here.
L: That reminds me of the band of non-self identified musicians. The THUGGOON band?
K: We actually just did a THUGGOON project. It was the weekend right before the election I think it was the last really fun thing that I'm going to do for a while. [both laugh]... We basically just ended up going to College Green Park with our instruments and building this temporary structure out of PVC pipe, wrapping it with ribbon and yarn and hanging instruments from it and playing some weird noise music in the park. And that was it! It was certainly very Fluxus influenced.
L: How does collaboration benefit the individual artist?
K: Seeing what other artists are doing is a really important part of being an artist... and collaboration takes you one step further because it allows you to witness other people's process. For me that's maybe even more beneficial than looking at people's completed work. Being present with people's process is more interesting and also, when you're collaborating there's a certain level of humility that you have to have. You don't get to just do what you want all the time - there's a negotiation and rethinking what you're ideas are. All of that is really valuable to your own work. My own work is influenced by having worked with other people a lot and being able to approach my own ideas in a different way because I've seen how other people think.
L: What constitutes a healthy collaboration or collective?
K: That's an interesting question because I recently collaborated on a project that was not related to Ps1 that was possibly not healthy. It didn't feel that way to me so I've been thinking about it. It really depends on what your goals are to begin with. With Ps1 the individual's own well-being is more important than anything, because we're supposed to be a community and a beneficial space. You don't have to finish the stuff you say you're going to finish, it's not like school. It's an artist-run community space. Here, that's what is most important in terms of healthy collaboration. Also, figuring out what is the most you can expect of people and learning to listen. Having everyone feel like their voice is being heard and they are a full creative collaborator. I know that when I was in college and in group projects, it didn't always feel like a full collaboration because some people will take on different roles and some would do more or less work. To me, having people feel like they're taking equal authorship and their voice is being heard is really important... In terms of the recent collaboration [I'm talking about], ultimately I think the work that came out was successful but I was really frustrating throughout the process of making the work which was several months. It was because at the beginning we didn't identify what was the working strategy together and talk really honestly about how much time could be committed by each person. Also, what would be the most helpful way for each person to feel like they were moving forward with the project together. It ended up being stressful and unhealthy at various points because we didn't identify that stuff together initially, so when we got to the deadline we just had to get things done however they had to be done.
L: So, you feel like there needs to be a solid structure in place at the beginning and then to be more flexible as the project goes on?
K: Yeah, for sure. There's always room to change things. I think that's one of the most exciting things that happens. Either you say, "We were doing this completely wrong" or "there is a much better way" and you can change it. But if you don't set up something to work against starting out it can be very challenging.
K: Seeing what other artists are doing is a really important part of being an artist... and collaboration takes you one step further because it allows you to witness other people's process. For me that's maybe even more beneficial than looking at people's completed work. Being present with people's process is more interesting and also, when you're collaborating there's a certain level of humility that you have to have. You don't get to just do what you want all the time - there's a negotiation and rethinking what you're ideas are. All of that is really valuable to your own work. My own work is influenced by having worked with other people a lot and being able to approach my own ideas in a different way because I've seen how other people think.
L: What constitutes a healthy collaboration or collective?
K: That's an interesting question because I recently collaborated on a project that was not related to Ps1 that was possibly not healthy. It didn't feel that way to me so I've been thinking about it. It really depends on what your goals are to begin with. With Ps1 the individual's own well-being is more important than anything, because we're supposed to be a community and a beneficial space. You don't have to finish the stuff you say you're going to finish, it's not like school. It's an artist-run community space. Here, that's what is most important in terms of healthy collaboration. Also, figuring out what is the most you can expect of people and learning to listen. Having everyone feel like their voice is being heard and they are a full creative collaborator. I know that when I was in college and in group projects, it didn't always feel like a full collaboration because some people will take on different roles and some would do more or less work. To me, having people feel like they're taking equal authorship and their voice is being heard is really important... In terms of the recent collaboration [I'm talking about], ultimately I think the work that came out was successful but I was really frustrating throughout the process of making the work which was several months. It was because at the beginning we didn't identify what was the working strategy together and talk really honestly about how much time could be committed by each person. Also, what would be the most helpful way for each person to feel like they were moving forward with the project together. It ended up being stressful and unhealthy at various points because we didn't identify that stuff together initially, so when we got to the deadline we just had to get things done however they had to be done.
L: So, you feel like there needs to be a solid structure in place at the beginning and then to be more flexible as the project goes on?
K: Yeah, for sure. There's always room to change things. I think that's one of the most exciting things that happens. Either you say, "We were doing this completely wrong" or "there is a much better way" and you can change it. But if you don't set up something to work against starting out it can be very challenging.
