Royal College of Art (group residency) / McConnell Quinn

photo Simon Beckmann

Royal College of Art (group residency) / McConnell Quinn / interior design

“I grew up in the Sonoran Desert in North America. As a kid, I spent hours in the wash behind my house, climbing over whatever the most recent storm had carried down. Those spaces shaped how I understand land, not as nature untouched by human intervention, but as something engineered by both people and environment, constantly stressed and shifting.

Walking through the barrancos near Joya: AiR brought that feeling back. The same dry air, the same evidence of intervention layered over time. After moving to London for my MA, I’ve struggled to stay connected to that desert sensibility in my work. Joya: AiR became a way to return to it.

The pieces I made here were reclaimed directly from the land: rebar, stone, timber, thistle, fragments of architecture. I wasn’t trying to illustrate the landscape, but to work with what it offered. The gestures are simple; holding, piercing, suspending, balancing. Some structures stand, others sag or give way, creating a tension that feels directly tied to the terrain.

My deepest thanks to Simon and Donna for building such a special place to make and think”.

Cheers Mc

In partnership with the Royal College of Art, this group residency at Joya: AiR was curated by guest artist Annie Edwards (GBA 26, MA RCA, BFA) www.annieedwards.com