Mandy Ferguson
MFA, Clemson University 2018
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Q:What year are you at Clemson and what is your dream job after you graduate? 
A: I am a second year MFA candidate. My dream job would be to teach at the college/university level as a tenure-track professor of printmaking. 

Q:How would you describe your design aesthetic/ style?  
A: Serious, reflective 

Q: What do you love most about being an artist? 
A: I love physicality of making work, being able to immerse myself in creating something and conjuring ideas and feelings into a tangible, visible form.  

Q: What are your inspirations? In general and for the selected piece. 
A: In general, I am inspired by the world around me—the mundane, the beautiful, and the ugly. Many things.  Power lines at sunset, reflections off buildings, forests in winter, people absorbed in their own worlds, articles explaining the functioning of things.  For the specific print that was chosen, I was inspired by articles describing the decimation of Fraser firs in the southeast and experiencing this in person. I find it interesting how intricately things are connected and how our actions affect the world around us. 

Q: What piece of work or project are you most proud of and why? 
A: I suppose I am most proud of a series of paintings I did years ago entitled ‘Wasteland.’ I’ve done better work since then, but this was the first time I created a serious body of work and had it exhibited. I realized from this experience that art was something I had to keep doing, some way or another. Those paintings made me realize how important art was to my life. 
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Q: What are some other art related internships, demonstrations, gallery showings, or publications you have been involved with? 
A: My work is currently showing in the Confluence International Print Exchange exhibit in Taiwan as a member of the Contemporary Print Collective. Last spring, I exhibited in the Atlanta Print Biennial juried exhibition, demonstrated woodcarving and monotyping processes at Artisphere, and assisted with a printmaking workshop at for Bring Your Daughter to Clemson Weekend, guiding participants in screenprinting activities. 
 
See some of Mandy's previous work below.

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