“Death metal, ritual murder, and teenage suicide are starting points for Banks Violette”. That is what I found about you on internet. Was wondering if you have any comments on this?

Inasmuch as those are instances of faith/belief metastasising, I’d agree with that. I’m not drawn to tragedies as isolated events. Still, there are instances when an individual or a group becomes subsumed within a narrative with tragic outcomes, and that’s something I’ve always been particularly interested in—sort of a chicken/egg distinction, but it’s a pretty important one.

How did you start making art?

I’ve always made objects. It is just how I relate to the world: I just make things.

In one of your interviews, you say art is toxic; could you please explain?

I don’t remember saying that, so I’d need to know the context. Possibly that connects to the previous question. For example, I’m not interested in Goethe’s “Sorrows of Young Werther” as a thing unto itself. Still, I am interested in how it, as a cultural artefact, can become a vehicle for a seemingly irrational belief or devotion, which could fairly be described as “toxic”, at least in its consequence.

Is there a conceptual importance of specific materials you use in your installations? Do you use to work site-specific?

More broadly, the idea of a “signature” material in post-minimal sculpture has been interesting (lead, felt, etc.) – certainly in the use of salt, as an example.