Interview by Jimon

1-One word to describe Lincoln Mayne?  Wanderer

2-Where do you currently live and create?  I currently live and work in Los Angeles. I’ve been fortunate to have an incredible studio space in Downtown for the past five years, but in my personal life, I’ve remained transient, with no fixed home address for several years.

3-What inspired you to become a sculptor?  I’ve always felt a natural desire to communicate, but becoming a sculptor was never a conscious choice; it emerged as the language I instinctively understood best.

4-Describe your journey as a sculptor?  After art school, I stepped away from art for many years, at least in its formal sense, and this has been beneficial. It allowed me to gain experiences I wouldn’t have encountered if I solely focused on art. As I traveled and worked across different continents, immersing myself in subcultures and the realities of life, a desire to communicate resurfaced. I started to work with clay, and before realizing it, sculpture reemerged and clay became the medium that gave me my voice.

5-Did you have any formal education or training?  Yes, I studied Fine Arts with a major in sculpture at a very small school in Perth, Western Australia, called Claremont School of Arts, which I believe no longer exists. It was a profoundly great experience. The program was 90% practical, which meant I spent my days making art—a perfect fit for me then, and now.

6-How do you conceptualize your sculptures, Can you walk us through your creative process from idea to completion?  My sculptures always stem from an emotional response or a complex thought about an idea or issue. I never set out with the intention of creating an artwork. I’m constantly jotting down ideas in my visual diary, and some ideas linger—they demand attention. Creating a physical form becomes a natural extension of trying to understand these ideas better. Even then, the process isn’t about making an artwork; it’s about exploring and testing thoughts through the act of making. Once I’ve created a piece that best represents the emotion or idea, the process is complete, and I rarely revisit it. I’ve learned to trust this process—staying close to the raw emotion increases the chance of genuine communication.

7-Are there non-artistic influences that play a role in your creative process, such as literature, music, or nature?  Anywhere there is space to think, I find it in the ocean, in the desert and on mountain tops.

8-What role does your personal background or culture play in your work?  I left school at a young age and spent the first six years working in a factory on an assembly line. This work was incredibly tedious. It was during this time that my imagination had plenty of space to develop independently of any outside influences.

9-Do you have a specific technique?  Yes, I’ve developed a range of conceptual techniques that guide my creative process and inform how I approach making. These techniques have specific titles, such as Small Actions That Change Perspective, Practicing Non-Preciousness, and What Else Can Clay Be? They encourage me to think beyond the traditional uses and limitations of clay, focusing instead on how to best represent my ideas. By engaging in these methods, I free myself from rigid expectations and allow new possibilities to emerge naturally. This mindset fosters constant experimentation and leads to the creation of new techniques that align with the concepts I’m exploring. My process is dynamic, always evolving to serve the ideas at the heart of my work.

10-Can you share a particularly memorable project or exhibition and why it was significant to you?  One of the most defining chapters of my creative journey unfolded when I became an artistic director for the BBC in London during the late 1990s. It was a leap that felt both improbable and transformative. Fresh from art school and flying halfway around the world I found myself within months standing inside the storied walls of Broadcasting House, a cornerstone of British culture and media. I was tasked with creating art installations using the BBC’s iconic children’s puppets, creations that would serve as the public face of the organization. It was an unexpected, almost surreal task, but one that profoundly shaped my understanding of what art could be: playful, communicative, and deeply embedded in the fabric of everyday life. This period wasn’t just about the work itself but the realization that possibility often lies just beyond what we imagine for ourselves.

11-Is every piece you create pre-planned or spontaneous?  Every piece begins with a pre-planned idea or reaction to a thought. However, once I start the physical creative process, I allow it to evolve and guide the work. I believe strongly in the constant evolution of ideas—no concept should ever be etched in stone.

12-Do you follow a daily routine or ritual when creating art?  Not really but I like to have an experience before entering the studio. Most mornings I’ll surf, wander my neighborhood, or sit in a cafe. Somewhere to think outside of my workspace.

13-Is there a message or emotion you’re trying to convey with your art?  I always hope my work evokes an emotional response, though the specific response isn’t important to me. A successful artwork is one that communicates, leaving a lasting impression in the viewer’s mind. My ultimate goal is to encourage thought.

14-How has the subject matter of your work evolved over time?  I don’t think my subject matter has changed much over time. What’s happening is that with each artwork, my communication is becoming clearer. Art is a language, and the longer you work in that language, the more command you gain in expressing your ideas. It’s fascinating to look back over 30 years of work and see how the language has developed and my ideas have come into focus.

15-What is the most challenging part of being an artist?  Fully committing to life as an artist often feels like taking many steps backward. It’s essentially a great unknown experiment with your life, and finding comfort in that uncertainty is the most challenging part of being an artist.

16-What do you find most rewarding about being an artist?  Developing a fertile mind, engaging with the world in a meaningful way, and being able to share it with others.

17-How do you balance the commercial aspects of art with your creative vision?  Balancing the commercial aspects of art with my creative vision is relatively easy for me. My primary rule is simple: if I’m interested in it, I’ll do it. Whether it’s a commissioned sculpture, commercial artwork, or even a project outside my usual field—like teaching art therapy in addiction treatment centers—it’s the opportunity to learn and communicate that matters most. The platform of the work doesn’t concern me. If the experience intrigues me, it’s worth pursuing.

18-How do you measure success as an artist?  I don’t think about success much or maybe I do. Who knows? What I do know is that I have been creating full-time for 30 years, and I’ll take that as a success.

19-How do you feel about the role of galleries and social media in showcasing art today?  Everything cuts both ways. I’m fortunate to have experienced an art career both before and after the internet. Many external forces can shape an artist, for better or worse. Artists need to engage with these platforms in a way that doesn’t become a distraction. While it’s possible to be an artist without galleries or social media, galleries and social media cannot exist without content. Ultimately, they are opportunities, and how an artist uses them is what matters most.

20-What role do you think art plays in society?  The Artist’s role is to create a tether to thoughts and emotions outside of the viewer’s common experience. The artwork acts as this tether and it is the artist’s responsibility to create this communication in a manner that is accessible, without watering down the idea.

21-What’s next for you as an artist? Any upcoming projects or goals you’re excited about?  I’m currently working on a project titled “Tables for Tables.” This work sits at the intersection of art and design, with the goal of not compromising on either. Can I create a true sculpture that others would consider design? Right now, in this project, I’m exploring the space between brutalism and theater, and I’m excited to watch the project evolve.

22-When does a work of art become important in your opinion? Do you need external confirmation, or is it something explicitly personal?  I believe what an artist considers important may differ from what a gallery, museum, or institution deems significant. Personally, an important artwork is one that allows me to grow and evolve as an artist, even if it may not be the most appealing to others. When I look back at my body of work, there are key pieces that I consider important because, without them, I wouldn’t be creating what I am today. Sometimes, these are even half-finished ideas, but they open new pathways for creative growth. Externally, if an artwork resonates strongly with the public, it can also be important as a study of one’s ability to communicate through art.

23-Did you ever doubt that you were an artist?  Nope, but I also don’t place a lot of weight on it. It’s always been clear to me to pursue what is interesting and stimulating and to seek experiences I can learn from. Within the limits of written language, “artist” is a great term to describe my process, and it provides others with a mental framework to understand my work.

24-The future is _________.  Non-existent.

25-Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration?  Anything outside.

26-If you could have dinner with 3 artists living/dead who would be at your table?  Any artists of the Lascaux Cave, Marcel Duchamp and Bas Jan Ader.

27-Name three things you can’t live without in your studio?  My guitar, it’s the perfect studio companion. This one small carving tool, the “Xiem Tools XST 32,” is incredibly versatile, it’s able to cut slabs or create the finest details. And my trusty hydraulic scissor lift table—if you’re planning on having an extended career in ceramics, I highly recommend making friends with one of these.

28-How would someone find you on social media?  Instagram at @lincolnmayne, but I’m becoming increasingly interested in long-form content. In 2025, I’ll be experimenting with YouTube @lincolnmayne as I’m becoming more drawn to creating content that offers value beyond the quick scroll of Instagram. I’m also looking to move away from creating and consuming content on handheld devices, there’s something about that platform that has become increasingly unsatisfying.