Interalia Magazine: Arts, Sciences and Consciousness.
Richard Bright: Have there been any particular influences to your ideas and working practice?
Pamela Whitaker: In my promotion of gatherings, and the sharing of art, there is also gift giving. I make a remedy for people to take home, in the form of a keepsake that reminds them of their participation in an event that is restorative. I am fond of the generation of interludes and liminal spaces that interrupt civic spaces with conviviality and creativity. Companionship and generosity are essential, along with the intention to construct a ritual for participants and passersby. People need to be given to—as loss, uneasiness and uncertainty prevail in the lives of many. The art of the feast, as event, is a composition that rejuvenates an optimism about community making. I consider this to be a form of public appeal art or the art of public relations. An opportunity for social mixing, pride of place and being present to each other through shared art making. The quest to rise to the occasion, and to make within encounters with people has been inspired by seasonal celebrations and references to metaphors and symbols that relate to heritage and culture. Art led gatherings are times to observe our whereabouts, our significance and our contributions to shared experience.