PROCESS: Conversational interviews as research and art practice
Conducting conversational interviews with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives is a fundamental aspect of Hughen/Starkweather’s art practice. The core of the interviews is deep listening, but also research: the words and ideas that surface shape the resulting artworks in unexpected ways. The seemingly simple process of inviting people to describe a landscape or ecosystem touches on many questions and ideas, including: What is the power of language and memory to shape our sense of place in the natural world? Can the act of describing a landscape be a transformative process? Can increased awareness of a place lead to an increased sense of responsibility? What is the role of deep listening in today’s attention economy? In light of dramatic changes in ecosystems, can art foster resilience and action amidst loss and uncertainty?

These conversations with community members and specialists with a wide variety of knowledge and experiences lead the artists toward additional research of related materials, including maps and photographs; scientific and numerical data; and books and news articles. Based on the gathered information, Hughen/Starkweather create and layer visual forms that reference specific infrastructures, landforms, natural systems, and maps. In exhibitions of their work, the artists display the collected research not only in wall text but also as source documents (books, articles, transcripts, audio recordings) and objects that the viewer is invited to peruse. Rather than offering concrete information in their work, the artists hope to create a space of uncertainty that echoes the futures of these landscapes.

Hughen/Starkweather interview Melinda Stone (far right), environmentalist, about shifting shorelines.