An interview with Quest Skinner
Photo and Art Courtesy of Quest Skinner
Part of the Burning Man Series
A Washington, D.C. local and an acclaimed artist, Quest Skinner has learned to not only incorporate the environment in her creations, but to work with it. “As an artist,” she says, “ learning to build for nature has been one of my things the last couple years. I can pretty much build almost anything, but if it’s not gonna work for the land, it’s not going to work.”
Skinner utilizes non-invasives and sustainable alternatives in her artwork wherever she can. She believes that when it comes to art, “We can do all of these great things, but we don’t have to be invasive. We don’t have to be damaging, or hurtful.”
Skinner carries these beliefs beyond her own artwork and into the real world. While Skinner is a serious artist, at Burning Man she holds a different role, assisting in implementing art structures instead of creating them. As the rain poured, Skinner was flexible. In her role as an art supporter it was Skinner’s job to help make sure that artists had access to heavy machinery to build their works. In the midst of the storm this year at Burning Man, she had to act quickly and efficiently, working both with artists and the environment to get the art standing, as the mud deepened all around them. “We pulled it off. It was amazing,” Skinner says. Skinner’s skill working within dynamic and challenging situations shows in her collaborative approach and on-the-fly problem solving.
Photo and Art Courtesy of Quest Skinner
Working with a team was essential, and so was having a community of support. “We enjoyed our two days of hunkering down, bunking in and laughing together, and making trash bag fashion.”
Skinner recalls a past experience building in a less than ideal situation. She was supposed to lead a temple building project, but broke her ankle on the very first day. Through teamwork, and detailed planning and communication, they were successful. “We built a 40 foot temple in under four days. It was the best team that I’ve ever had.”
Skinner noted how the Burning Man community took care of each other during the flood. She mentions being met everywhere with questions of, “Do you need anything? Do you need gas? Are you okay?” Skinner described working together with multiple Burning Man camps and villages to make sure everyone had enough resources.
Questions flew at her, problems mounted, and she handled each one at a time, hands on, moving quickly, always moving forward. “Things only get rickety when you don’t have individuals who are comfortable with stepping into a position to help lead,” Skinner explains. “It’s not a lot of work to say, I know this person, let me put you in contact, let’s get you propane, let’s see what we can do. It was worth it to work together.”
Skinner believes that the most efficient solutions take innovation and creativity. Skinner sees creativity as a way forward through the Earth’s challenges. “Art literally can become windmills and kinetic energy and be beautiful on landscapes.”
Skinner has always held hope for the future, but one of her core beliefs is that “not being prepared makes you a victim of time.” Skinner sees the changing future as an opportunity instead of something to fear. “We need to learn to ebb and flow and to rethink how we’re living now so we can live better in the future.”
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