Red Lodge Clay Center Long-Term Residents 2012-13
Alexis Gregg and Tanner Coleman are a collaborative team working under their business AnT Sculpture and Design. Each having their own background in sculptural methods with clay, brick, and other materials the two found a common interest in cultural placemaking and public art. AnT has public artworks around the world in museums, parks, and schools. Their fine art explores architecture, adornment, and domestic space.
Alexis and Tanner met at the University of Georgia where they both earned BFA degrees and continued to work together through Alexis’ MFA education at Cal State Long Beach. Currently, Alexis is an Associate Professor of Art at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia and Tanner manages AnT Sculpture and Design creating custom brick, tile, concrete, and public art.
The visual experience in our private and public surroundings greatly determines our appreciation for those spaces and our overall happiness in them. Our mission through creating art is to improve spaces so that the idea of a “sacred space” can cross multiple boundaries and concepts. We process site specific historical and cultural ideas through our own artistic filter to produce highly unique and durable architectural works. We also create custom work to fit individual desires and personal narratives.
Public art is a tedious field that encompasses community, history, and collaboration with numerous key players. When creating public art we take serious consideration in our research of the location where our work will exist. As makers we take pride in the craftsmanship and design that goes into the objects we create. Our projects always incorporate community whether it is during the conception, creation or installation of our work. We want to instill a sense of pride and ownership with the community that will experience the work most. The function and impact of our work over the course of time is something we deeply consider. Knowing most of our work will outlive many generation and us is a concept we will never fully grasp but always contemplate.
The materials we use are carved brick, high relief sculpted tile, mosaic tile, wood, glass, metal and concrete. These materials allow endless combinations to achieve many colors, textures, and function. The function of our work ranges from monolithic monuments to sculptures that incorporate bench seating, planters, archways, slides, tunnels, and bridges. Our most recent project, “Dragonfly” has climbing rope wings, six benches, dalle de verre windows, and seven polished concrete slides. We push the viewers physical use of our work depending on the appropriateness of the site.