TWO UP
Tim Maslen and Jennifer Mehra
London based duo, Tim Maslen and Jennifer Mehra, are artistic globe trotters, travelling the world from Australia to Athens, California, Korea, and Cologne, creating striking, mixed media installations that are attracting widespread critical attention. Perth born Maslen (38) and Sydney raised Mehra (36) have both lived in the UK since the 1990s and created their first artistic collaboration during the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Their bold, poetic and surreal works explore the intersection between nature and culture, science, technology and art. Their current work incorporates large scale photographic panoramas that transpose human silhouettes seemingly at random within remote wilderness environments. This year finds the couple juggling art projects in Italy, Berlin and at London’s Courtauld Institute, as well as finding time to operate an artist-run gallery, VOID, in East London. AAR invites this powerhouse pair to take precious time out to discuss their living and working relationship.
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
How and when did you first meet?
Jennifer Mehra
We first met in 1999 when an Australian Artist (not named) was trying to set up an Australian network in London. The Artist arranged an impromptu meeting to get the ball rolling. I was an Aussie running an artist-run space that had already been going for two years. Tim had been in London for quite a few years and was a graduate from Goldsmiths MA course. He had also worked as an assistant for a number of blue-chip artists in London. Both of us already had a reasonable understanding of the London art scene. Therefore the Artist had invited us to meet him.
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
What were your first impressions of each other?
Tim Maslen
I thought that she was a little bit aloof, but I could see that she was motivated and well organised, as well as attractive!
Jennifer Mehra
I thought Tim was very confident but I had reservations.
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
How did your creative relationship evolve?
Jennifer Mehra
Our creative relationship started when we were offered the opportunity to use an unusual exhibition space in Sydney during the Olympics. We both agreed that it would be far more successful if we were to collaborate and use the space for one installation rather than try to exhibit separately. From that point, it has been a natural evolution. Our shared thematic concerns of nature and culture and our experimental approach to our practice have allowed for a natural progression.
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
How did your move to the Northern Hemisphere affect your lives and your work?
Tim Maslen
The move to the Northern Hemisphere has had a profound impact on our lives and practice. Firstly we met in London. Moving from anywhere in Australia to London is going to have an impact on your work – from concept all the way through to realisation. Australia has vast raw spaces, a silence, whilst London is the antithesis. It is impossible not to be influenced by where you are and where you have come from on any level.
Jennifer Mehra
It’s great to be a part of such a thriving art community and to be placed at the gateway to so many fascinating countries and cultures, however it’s terrible to be so far from family and friends. We miss the big open spaces, the colour, the light, the air, the sounds, the ocean, the bird-life, the lifestyle and the food! Australia and the UK are incredibly different. We draw on our experiences of both places.
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
Can you describe your artistic methods and process of collaboration?
Tim Maslen
The process of collaboration takes place from the conception of an idea all the way through to the execution of the final work no matter what we are making or doing. We obviously have different strengths but we always make sure that there are ‘four hands’ in the final works.
Jennifer Mehra
Often we have to discover methods and technologies that we haven’t used before in order to realise a project. The up side is that we are learning all the time. The down side is we may not use the methods again. At the moment we are enjoying photography. While the rest of the world zooms (sorry for the pun) towards digital photography, we are lugging around a medium format film camera, which we love.
The process of collaboration is something that many people find dubious and we are often asked, ‘Who does what?’ The answer is that we have a genuine collaborative practice that involves each of us contributing to all levels of the work. It is true that we each have our strengths and skills however when we become too comfortable in a role, we force ourselves to switch jobs. We continue to learn from each other.
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
How do you juggle a personal, professional and creative relationship?
Tim Maslen
With care! London is an equation of Time and Space, finding these two commodities is the game. We have structures set up that allow us to find the time and space to do what we need to do whether it is work or play, but it has taken us some time to find ways.
Jennifer Mehra
I don’t actually see it as juggling. If anything the fact that we share an artistic practice simplifies our relationship as we don’t have separate careers to juggle.
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
What are some of the joys and challenges of working together?
Tim Maslen
We are lucky that we are able to travel and work and are able to share these experiences with our best friend. We don’t spend every minute of every day with each other but we are happy even if we do! Some of the challenges are the fact that I am as stubborn as Jennifer and she is as stubborn as I, however healthy debate usually strengthens the work.
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
Can you tell us about some of your forthcoming projects?
Jennifer Mehra
At the moment we have a solo exhibition at Galerie Caprice Horn in Berlin. We have also been included in the East Wing Collection at the Courtauld Institute, which will last for two years. Other projects are in the pipeline but we don’t like discussing them until they are set in stone!
Victoria Hynes for Australian Art Review
What does the future hold?
Tim Maslen
Many things – some unknown and other possibilities that we will work towards; I am reluctant to say too much as ‘the sands shift swiftly under foot’ in this game!
Jennifer Mehra
We never know what the future holds. We are thoroughly enjoying working together. Everything else is a bonus.