Graduate Student Interview: Forrest Ashworth

What previous experiences led you here to UW-Madison and into a Masters program in African American Studies?

I received my undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There I became interested in conceptual sculpture, especially that displayed publicly, that adopts common objects, materials, and their methods of display. In subject matter I grew interested in slavery memorials erected on university campuses in the 21st century. Then and now, I’m interested in how contemporary artists are investigating the legacies of slavery. These overlapping interests led me to see the value in an interdisciplinary department that would help me where I was the weakest, the African American history and various other fields than art that artists are engaged with. The level of support and amount of freedom I’ve received in the program has proved even greater than I expected. I’m happy I’m here.

Can you share an overview of your master’s thesis?

My master’s thesis will be looking at visual artists producing work today that engage with the criminal justice system, primarily the work of Sable Elyse Smith and Cameron Rowland. Both are Black artists who provide commentary on various aspects of incarceration through the presentation of industrially produced goods and other common objects. It’s exciting because there is so much to try to understand but this also presents a major complication in terms of focusing. The issues these artists are discussing and the forms they use are complex amalgamations of knowledge and ideas from disciplines across the academy, so many lines of questioning and disciplinary methodologies could be fruitful, making prioritization especially important.

Is there any text or article you’ve discovered as a student at UW that has altered or shaped your studies?

There are many from the six courses I’ve taken so far and other UW hosted guest and special lectures, but I didn’t discover those as they were presented to me. A book I found during my research though that’s stuck with me is Prison Landscapes by photographer Alyse Emdur. It focuses on prison portrait photographs and the backdrops they are staged in front of, showing both the vast reach and hidden impacts of incarceration.

What has been the biggest challenge thus far in graduate school?

Becoming adjusted to the reading and writing load. I came to graduate school after having worked an office job in art consulting since graduating college, so it took me a bit my first semester to get used to the seemingly constant reading and writing. It’s been a massive blessing to have the time to dedicate to this work.

What do you enjoy outside of your graduate studies?

My daily free time is largely consumed by listening to music, but when I can I really enjoy being in nature by hiking, birdwatching, backpacking, and camping. I also like to ride my bicycle, especially on the bike roads that go all around Madison.

You’ve been a student at UW for about a year now; what has been the most memorable aspect of living in Madison?

I have great memories of swimming in Lake Mendota off the pier at the Union Terrace when I first arrived in Madison last summer and starting my first semester. It’s a unique experience treading water in the lake and looking at campus.

What are some of your long-term goals for your post-grad plans?

I’m applying and hoping to be admitted into a doctoral program to start upon my graduation from the department. I’d like to continue my studies as there is much more I’d like to learn, think, and write about. My end goal is to teach and write at a smaller college or university situated in a mountainous area.