Wesley Harvey
How did you get into debt?
I acquired my debt during both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. During my time at Indiana University for the BFA in Fine Arts degree, I made bad decisions about how to deal with student loans and knowing how much to take for what I needed versus taking the full amount. When I was in graduate school, the focus was to be a student and concentrate on my artistic practice and I needed to take out the full amount as to not have a job. I wish I had known better how to deal with loans at a younger age so that I would not carry this debt around. It feels like the balance will never go down.
How does your economic reality effect your art?
My economic reality affects my artwork and artistic practice because some days it is all I can think about. When my brain starts to think about my debt, it can take over my studio and I need to walk away and start over the next day.
Would your work look different if you weren't in debt?:
I think that is a hard question to think about. Getting my BFA and MFA degrees in Ceramics is what started to really define and shape my artwork and make it what it is today. I feel like I am making the artwork that I am supposed to right now and I am not sure how my artwork would look if I did not go into debt because of my education.
www.wesleyharvey.com