Collaboration in Isolation
During this past year of home confinement Lincoln artist, Barbara Ekedahl and Bristol artist, Lily Hinrichsen decided to connect with one another through collaborative collage-making via porch dropoffs/pickups. What that meant was one would start a collage and then pass it on to the other, who would then add or subtract to the collage and pass it back. The passing back and forth could go on many times. It would end when it was felt by one or both of us that it was complete. This collaboration fulfilled the need for creative connection and inspiration through a very difficult time of isolation.
Here’s what this collaboration meant for each of us:
Lily Hinrichsen
One of the most profound things I learned from this collaboration was to “leave my ego at the door.” After-all I’m accustomed to making art on my own terms. By doing so I was able to let go of my “precious” designs into Barbara’s hands not knowing if she would cut them up, past over them, or enhance them with her own materials — which she did! Sometimes it made me feel uncomfortable, and other times I really appreciated her alterations. Always there was a sense of surprise, which I found refreshing, as it got me thinking outside my familiar, customary box.
Barbara Ekedahl
In recent years I had turned away from art making for other pursuits, but always had an itch to use my creative skills again. That itch became more pronounced during social distancing and I turned to Lily with an artistic pen-pal sort of idea.
Unsure of what form it might take, collage became a friendly and forgiving route.
With a partner in this creative project my dormant skills woke up. For someone used to working a piece from start to finish the feedback of collaboration was both supportive and challenging. We could have talked about the work as it progressed but chose instead for the collages to speak for themselves which lent the process to be both mystery and discovery. The anticipation of seeing new materials and direction with each new or altered piece was something I looked forward to through the months of working together.
Lily Hinrichsen
One of the most profound things I learned from this collaboration was to “leave my ego at the door.” After-all I’m accustomed to making art on my own terms. By doing so I was able to let go of my “precious” designs into Barbara’s hands not knowing if she would cut them up, past over them, or enhance them with her own materials — which she did! Sometimes it made me feel uncomfortable, and other times I really appreciated her alterations. Always there was a sense of surprise, which I found refreshing, as it got me thinking outside my familiar, customary box.
Barbara Ekedahl
In recent years I had turned away from art making for other pursuits, but always had an itch to use my creative skills again. That itch became more pronounced during social distancing and I turned to Lily with an artistic pen-pal sort of idea.
Unsure of what form it might take, collage became a friendly and forgiving route.
With a partner in this creative project my dormant skills woke up. For someone used to working a piece from start to finish the feedback of collaboration was both supportive and challenging. We could have talked about the work as it progressed but chose instead for the collages to speak for themselves which lent the process to be both mystery and discovery. The anticipation of seeing new materials and direction with each new or altered piece was something I looked forward to through the months of working together.