Mary Lucking's work ranges from large-scale, permanent artworks in parks, biking trails, and bus stops, to temporary interactive installations across the US.
A fifth-generation Arizonan, she headed to east for school (architecture at Wellesley College and art and technology at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago), moved to Tucson in 2001, and returned to Phoenix last fall.
For more on eyeballs and right-angles, read on.
List five things on your Inspiration Wall (real or imagined).
Telescopes, sea anemones, and the work of Thomas Saraceno, Lawrence Malstaf, and Thomas Heatherwick.
What's your last big project?
Blues Birds was an interactive installation for the Glendale Jazz and Blues Festival where people could sing and talk into a bird mask, and their voices were turned into bird calls. The last permanent public art project that I did was for the Indian School station on the light rail, which incorporates memories of people who lived at and around the Phoenix Indian School. It was a great opportunity to talk with people about their experiences there.
What's your next big project?
I have a bunch of projects that will be installed this year. One that I'm particularly excited about is for the new lobby at the Arizona Science Center. It'll be big, and there will be eyeballs. That's all I can say.
Why do you do what you do?
I get to be out in the world, working with people to make art, and hopefully helping to build a better city -- I can't imagine anything better.
What's something you want Phoenix to know about you?
When I left Phoenix in 1990, I never dreamed I'd come back. I decided to move back last year because the Valley has turned into a great place to make art -- there's a great sense of openness and opportunity that I haven't encountered anywhere else. Thanks, everybody.
And what's something you really don't want Phoenix to know about you?
I can't build a right-angled-anything to save my life -- I nearly flunked out of two shop classes.
The Creatives, so far:
100. Fausto Fernandez
99. Brian Boner
98. Carol Panaro-Smith
97. Jane Reddin
96. Adam Dumper
95. Mayme Kratz
94. Daniel Tantalean
93. Yuri Artibise
92. Lisa Starry
91. Paul Hoeprich
90. Betsy Schneider
89. Mary Shindell
88: Gabriel Utasi
87: Tiffany Egbert
86. Angela Cazel Jahn
85. Dayvid LeMmon
84. Beatrice Moore
83. Michelle J. Martinez
82. Carrie Bloomston
81. Paul Porter
80. Rachel Bess
79. Karolina Sussland
78. Aaron Abbott
