The collaborative crafting of Motherboard with Vicky Browne and Simon Reece

This episode is an interview with artists Vicky Browne and Simon Reece about their innovative work, "Motherboard." Merging ceramics with technology, this piece invites viewers to experience interactive sculptures that emit varying tonal frequencies as they hold the objects. The piece was developed for a show called “Underground” that was held at the Blue Mountains Cultural centre from late 2023 to early 2024.   

Vicky Browne, an interdisciplinary artist with a background in sculpture, and Simon Reece, a ceramic artist, both hail from the Blue Mountains, Australia.  The interview explores the audience’s response to the interaction, and the process of developing the piece and the importance of collaboration in their practice. 

Listen to this podcast to learn about

• How "Motherboard" engages viewers, creating a deeper connection with the artwork through tactile interaction.
• The concept of "Ma," the Japanese idea of the space in-between is a useful frame of mind for thinking about collaborations.    
• Materiality, technology, and their interconnectedness.
• The journey of "Motherboard," from concept to reality, emphasising the role of dialogue, experimentation, and overcoming practical and conceptual challenges

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Highlights

• (0:02:04) Vicky describes the physicality of Motherboard and its interactive nature.
• (0:03:01) People at the exhibition interacted with the sculpture, creating nonverbal communication.
• (0:00:01) Simon discusses the importance of allowing space for creativity.
• (0:06:09) The importance of tactile response and the freedom to touch ceramics in the artwork.
• (0:07:00) Vicky and Simon’s focus on materiality and problem-solving in their collaborative process.
• (0:09:22) The unique aesthetic and combined strengths that arise from their collaboration.
• (0:12:40) Playing and problem-solving
• (0:13:12) Collaboration allows for new and unexpected work
• (0:14:29) Collaboration leads to making things they wouldn’t normally produce
• (0:15:27) Learning from each other’s different approaches
• (0:18:19) Technology embedded in our lives and materials
• (0:19:19) Greater respect for materials through technology
• (0:19:56) Exploring the interconnectedness of technology and materials
• (0:22:44) Allowing space for collaboration and being open to different ideas
• (0:23:52) Leaving ego at the door and effective communication
• (0:24:11) Simon and Vicky discuss their collaborative process without an agenda.

About Vicky Browne

Vicky Browne, an interdisciplinary mixed media artist from the Blue Mountains, NSW, completed her Master of Visual Art at Sydney College of the Arts in 2010. Her extensive exhibition history includes showcases at renowned venues like Artspace Sydney, Artspace Auckland, and Dunedin Public Art Gallery in New Zealand. Browne's participation in institutional group exhibitions, such as Living in the Ruins of the Twentieth Century at UTS Gallery and Sound Full at City Gallery Wellington, has bolstered her standing in the contemporary art sphere. Notable achievements include winning the 2013 Fauvette Loureiro Memorial Artists’ Travel Scholarship Prize. Browne's recent solo exhibition, Work/Play at Blue Mountains City Gallery in 2022, underscores her exploration of mixed media and interdisciplinary art, establishing her as a leading figure in Australian art.

About Simon Reece

Simon Reece is a distinguished ceramic artist celebrated for his expertise and inventive approach to ceramics. Trained at The National Art School, he delved into ceramics in the early 1980s, refining his craft under expert tutelage. A pivotal moment came in 1985 when Reece journeyed to Japan, immersing himself in wood firing ceramics under master Uneo Norihide's guidance in Bizen. This transformative experience shaped Reece's unique aesthetic and profound understanding of ceramic art. Back in Australia, he became a journeyman potter, collaborating with peers and constructing wood kilns. Reece's diverse portfolio spans tableware for top chefs, environmental sculptures, and global workshops, solidifying his influence in contemporary ceramics.  

Takeaways from this interview with Vicky Browne and Simon Reece

Description

"Motherboard" is a series of interactive sculptures that combine ceramics and technology. The main sculpture is a metallic-looking ceramic rock surrounded by smaller rocks. When a participant picks up one of the smaller rocks or approaches the main rock, the volume and tonal frequencies change, creating an interactive and immersive experience.

Interaction and non-verbal communication

It’s almost like they enact the sculpture like a sort of, I guess, like a band or something like that when they’re playing, you know, off each other.  - Vicky Browne  

Essence of collaboration

Our practice is quite distinct from each other, but so we’re sort of doing something new when we come together. And I think that’s the strength of the collaboration. - Vicky Browne   

It’s allowing that space for stuff to happen. I mean, it’s almost. Isn’t it like with the Japanese, with Ma, where it’s almost like the space in between, and you’re sort of like, if you sort of squish stuff up and there’s no space in between, then it’s really hard to sort of get stuff happening. So it just can’t be tight. - Simon Reece

Technology  and material 

It ... is a reflection on how technology, more and more, is ... embedded into materials. - Vicky Browne 

Links from the podcast  

• Visit Vicky Browne’s website  
• Follow Vicky Browne’s on Instagram
• Read Vicky Browne’s article -  Sound is as much in the dirt as it is in the air
• Visit Simon Reece’s website
• Follow on Instagram
• Learn more about the Underground exhibition 

Edited transcript of the interview with Vicky Browne and Simon Reece

Robin Petterd: What’s it like to experience Motherboard as a piece?

Vicky Browne: So if I was going to describe its physicality, it consists of a large, metallic-looking ceramic rock. It’s a little termite mound-ish in shape, and it’s surrounded by five smaller rocks with the same metallic glaze. So they’re ceramic, and inside, there’s a bit of technology. The idea is that if you pick up a rock—or a rock is picked up—the sound gets louder. It’s tonal frequencies.

Vicky Browne: As you walk towards the main rock, the volume increases. So it’s interactive. It’s kind of funny, slightly humorous. It has a sci-fi look.

Simon Reece: It looks a bit Doctor Who-ish, almost.

Vicky Browne: Yeah. There’s sort of a 1970s feel.

Robin Petterd: How did people respond to the interaction?

Vicky Browne: Really well, actually. At the opening, it was fun. We weren’t the gallery minders' favourite—they were nervous about people picking up ceramics—but it wasn’t a problem. People engaged with it. Since there were five nodes, different people interacted with each other's movements.

Vicky Browne: It reminded us of another project we did, where people enacted the sculpture like a band, playing off each other. It was fun.

Robin Petterd: So you gave them a way to communicate nonverbally?

Vicky Browne: Yes—by walking, by their positioning relative to the main sculpture.

Robin Petterd: Was it on the floor or plinths?

Simon Reece: They were on plinths.

Robin Petterd: Comfortable height?

Simon Reece: Yes. Just enough to make interactivity easy.

Vicky Browne: That’s something we’re thinking of developing further—making the stands an extension of the artwork. Something for future iterations.

How do artists use Arduino in installations?

Robin Petterd: So the stands become part of the experience. How did the piece start?

Simon Reece: Vicky spoke about it quite some time ago—this idea of a central object and surrounding pieces. The spacey, rocky idea developed from our past collaborations. Things morph through talking. We discuss possibilities endlessly.

Vicky Browne: Earlier, we created separate sound machines inspired by Russolo’s Intonarumori instruments from 1914. We made variations with different technologies. That work was interactive—inviting people to play. Motherboard evolved from that, but visually embedded more into ceramics.

Simon Reece: The earlier works were more analog. Only one was digital. Motherboard leans more digital. What’s nice about ceramics is that people usually can’t touch them in galleries. Here, they could—and that tactile response was central.

Vicky Browne: The big middle one especially invited touch.

Simon Reece: Galleries hate that, but all three of our collaborations have focused increasingly on interaction.

Vicky Browne: It reflects how technology is being embedded into materials. We’re exploring that in the work.

How does collaboration influence creative practice?

Robin Petterd: Both of your practices focus on materiality. When did you shift from ideas to working with materials?

Simon Reece: For me, there’s no separation. Thinking about ideas instantly triggers thoughts about materials.

Vicky Browne: Same. We’re both studio-based artists. Even if we don’t know how something will be made, we solve it through doing. For Motherboard, Simon worked more on the ceramics—partly due to timing. But we’re both very hands-on.

Vicky Browne: I enjoy the problem-solving—figuring out how to make an idea work. What tech to use. What aesthetics come from the materials. Simon and I understand each other’s visual language well and aim to make something new together.

Simon Reece: There’s a strong connection in how we work.

Vicky Browne: And we’d never make the same work individually.

Simon Reece: Definitely not.

Vicky Browne: Our practices are distinct. Collaborating means creating something unfamiliar. That’s the strength.

Exploring materiality in media art installations

Robin Petterd: It’s clear in the final work. It’s not one person leading. It’s truly collaborative—problem-solving and evolving ideas.

Vicky Browne: Yes. We started with a central piece idea that reacts to movement. We thought tones would work well, but other sounds were considered too. We worked with someone on the Arduino parts. Then, there’s powering it—practical issues alongside aesthetics.

Robin Petterd: What were the development stages?

Vicky Browne: We had a deadline, though COVID disrupted it. Timelines and venues changed. It evolved from earlier work.

Simon Reece: We decided to make it independently of the curator. The show was called Underground—that influenced us. Once we start, the process drives it. We play and solve problems. It just flows.

Vicky Browne: It’s very organic.

Simon Reece: It sounds nebulous, but that’s how it works.

Vicky Browne: We ask—how do we speak to the Underground theme? And go from there.

Simon Reece: Our first collaboration was for a show by the Australian Ceramics Association—Ceramics MIX. Straightforward, but even then we followed the same playful path. The results were works we wouldn’t make alone.

Vicky Browne: That show was interesting. Other works had clear parts done by different people. Ours didn’t—you couldn’t tell who did what. That’s how it should be in a good collaboration.

Audience interaction with sound and sculpture

Robin Petterd: Some collaborations happen to fill a skill gap. Yours doesn’t feel like that. You’re both 3D-focused but bring different perspectives.

Simon Reece: I’ve always admired Vicky’s anarchic approach. Ceramics often demands precision. That looseness is freeing for me.

Vicky Browne: And I’ve learned to slow down. Simon’s refinement helped me make things more deliberately. That’s been good for me.

Robin Petterd: What did you learn from the piece?

Vicky Browne: I’m interested in how people want to interact with materials. Post-COVID, smaller, freer tech means we can do more without plugging in. That opens possibilities.

Simon Reece: Yes—creating intimate, hands-on experiences.

Vicky Browne: Technology is embedded in life. Artists reflect that. Tech and clay both come from the earth—it’s all extraction. It broadens the definition of technology.

Simon Reece: And ideally, it builds respect for materials.

Vicky Browne: That’s central to the piece. Hence the title—Motherboard.

Robin Petterd: That title adds a conceptual layer, even if it’s hard to search. Are you working on something new?

Vicky Browne: Not right now. We’ve got individual projects.

Simon Reece: There’s still potential in the large sound box. Maybe with added components.

Vicky Browne: Something always comes up. Probably something in 2025. It’s an ongoing relationship.

Simon Reece: It’s unlikely to stop.

Vicky Browne: And it’s not forced. We don’t push for new work. It happens naturally.

Simon Reece: If it wasn’t fun, we wouldn’t do it.

Vicky Browne: We both live in the mountains. That place influences us. Socially, we know each other well too. It feels organic.

Robin Petterd: Final question—what’s your advice about collaboration?

Vicky Browne: You go first, Simon.

Simon Reece: Allow space. Like the Japanese concept of Ma—the space between things. If it’s too crowded, nothing can happen.

Vicky Browne: Yes. Allow time and flexibility. Be open to trying things, and willing to let ideas go.

Simon Reece: Leave the ego at the door.

Vicky Browne: Talk it through. Don’t push an agenda.

Simon Reece: We don’t come in with agendas. That’s why it works.

Robin Petterd: That’s a perfect note to end on. Your answers reflect your collaboration beautifully. Thank you both.