Queer, Nomadic Ceramist, Artist and Writer Sweeney Brown shares how they came to Habitable Spaces, their art and their sobriety journey. Also, Sweeney describes their stay at Habitable Spaces during quarantine and what they love most about the farm & residency.
A prolific visual artist and writer based in the US, they are a nomadic artist who lives and works in a 24 foot school bus. Working from the road gives Sweeney the opportunity to create site specific work giving more meaning to their text and visual art. Brown’s artistic voice is honest and raw, delving into topics of love, crushes, trauma, fear, sobriety and peace of mind. Thoughtful, intelligent, sometimes heartbreaking and delicate. There are many stories laid bare or hidden in each piece. Having received no formal art training Sweeney has the freedom to make art without rules. Sweeney combines their ceramic work with photography, illustrations, poetry and personal essays, their ability to shift between mediums is groundbreaking. Their work invites you to sit with pain, trauma and love, encouraging the viewer to consider their own stories and how they relate to the work. There is no separation between Sweeney Brown and their art, they both exist in the same space. They are one in the same.
Key Talking Points of the Episode:
[00:35] Getting to know Sweeney and her background with Habitable Spaces
[09:21] George Floyd’s murder and Sweeney’s experience of the situation
[11:49] How Sweeney acquired her bus and came back to Habitable Spaces:
[20:30] Relationships: Sweeney’s single life
[23:08] Sweeney’s sobriety
[30:17] Sweeney’s way of living out of the money system
[31:24] Sweeney’s mentor and her art
[38:05] Fear
[39:39] What does Sweeney do for her peace of mind?
[40:20] How does Sweeney make money with her art and still manage to be on the move?
[44:35] life on the road
[48:50] Sweeney’s experience with Texas
Key Quotes from the Episode:
“You just treat people well, and you will also be treated well.”
“Normal is a conspiracy theory.”
“You learn more from your mistakes than you do from your successes.”
“Every place has different some natural things.”