She had us at IN-N-OUT, an endearing and enduring sculpture inspired by the city of Los Angeles. Meegan Barnes is an anthropologist who memorializes iconic moments and scenes through the medium of clay that are rich with pop-cultural history, facts and figures. She wastes no time crafting her own LA state of mind.
Kristin Farr: What does IN-N-OUT mean to you?
Meegan Barnes: It’s an LA phenomenon. Everybody loves IN-N-OUT, including me - and I’m a vegetarian! Even Anthony Bourdain once said, and I’m paraphrasing, “If I were to post a pic of some really interesting people, say, me, Christopher Walken, The Dalai Lama, and Keith Richards in a hot tub, doing bong rips, it would get maybe 4 or 5,000 likes. However, if I simply took an isolated photograph of my IN-N-OUT burger sitting on a table, I would get 50,000 likes in like 9 minutes.” Side note, I do plan on making that hot tub scene one day. 
Who crashed their Tesla truck into the Beverly Hills hotel?
Who crashed the Tesla remains a mystery, but I did end up selling my piece about it to the guy who took the original video that went viral. It turns out he was also an art collector.
The fine detail of your glazing blows my mind. Tell me about your process and which parts you enjoy the most - and the least.
My process starts by hand-building the structure or environment with ceramic slabs that I’ve rolled out previously. Then I’ll craft the figures and other elements in the scene. After it’s been bisqued-fired, I paint with underglazes, which make it easier to do the fine details. I love doing people’s faces, clothing, and other fun little surprises you might not notice at first.
What I don’t love so much is doing repetitive details; for example, when I made the Messi and Miami soccer team piece, it took me three days just to paint all the little people in the bleachers behind them. I needed stronger glasses after that one, but it was worth it.
It really was! Tell me about your recent show all about Sunset Boulevard.
My solo show at One Trick Pony Gallery was called Sunset Noir. It was inspired by iconic establishments in and around Sunset Boulevard where you might go after dark—The Troubadour, The Chateau Marmont, and Frank & Musso’s, to name a few. For the Frank & Musso’s moment, I made a booth with Marylin Monroe eating a shrimp cocktail, sitting next to Quentin Tarantino, Keith Richards, and Elizabeth Short, all people who frequented Frank & Musso’s, but not necessarily at the same time. For the Chateau, I did a debaucherous pool party scene, and for The Troubadour, a bunch of rockers outside a Jane’s Addiction show.
After I made all the pieces, I had a bit of time left, so I made a stretch limo with a pool in the back, because, I mean… you gotta get to all these places in style.
Are all your figures referencing real people?
Yes, but not always. Sometimes I’ll just imagine who, in general, might be hanging at whichever place I’m making. Sometimes I base them on friends, celebs, or people I see in photos. I put my dogs and husband in a lot. They’re my muses.
What catches your eye in body language that makes you want to render it?
I love an awkward moment. I love catching a person in mid-action, like smoking, dancing, or playing an instrument. Just being able to capture a feeling or express a personality through body language is so fun. 
I learned from you that Guns n’ Roses were actually two different bands that merged! You’re an anthropologist.
I’ll usually go down a research rabbithole before starting a new piece. When I was doing the Sunset Noir show, it felt anthropological because it was like documenting contemporary moments of LA history. It felt particularly special because, at the rate the LA landscape is changing these days, many of these establishments might not still be here 10 years from now; or, if they are, they’ll definitely be different from what they are today.
The G n’ R piece came about when I was researching and gathering references for Cantor’s Deli. I came across a photo of them all sitting at a booth there. Then I did a deep dive and found out that the exact booth is where the guys from LA Guns and Hollywood Rose decided to join forces and become Guns N’ Roses. I just knew I had to make that scene out of clay.
A couple other fun facts are that Elton John played his first U.S. gig at the Troubadour, and there’s supposedly still a safe that belonged to mobster Bugsy Seigel hidden in the floor of The Formosa.
What drew you to the artists and architects you’ve referenced?
For the Felix Art Fair with One Trick Pony this year, I wanted to do iconic LA architecture, which obviously includes mid-century modern architects like Richard Neutra, so I did the Hailey House. Since I’m always up for a challenge, I did one of the John Lautner houses, which are all miracles of modern engineering. I chose the Chemosphere because it was a fun opportunity to incorporate metal and wood.
Frank Llyod Wright’s Hollyhock House is also such an LA landmark, and I thought it would be fun to do the interior and all the furniture around the giant stone fireplace. Artists Louise Bonnet and Adam Silverman did an installation there last year, so I included a little homage to them.
Have you done any claymation?
I did it once, many years ago, with my 10-year-old nephew. We created this bizarro band set to Social Distortion’s version of “Ring of Fire.” The lead singer was supposed to be me, but some characters were just blobs. My dog was in it, and a big fire was burning in the background. It started out super cool, but about 30 seconds in, you can tell our attention spans hit the wall, and the whole thing kind of self-imploded. I just watched it again, and actually, it’s kind of epic.
Tell me about growing up and going to art school in the Bay Area. You obviously love LA more!
I grew up in Marin County in the ’70s and '80s, when it was still mostly hippies, artists and musicians like The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Starship. Back then, you could leave the house in the morning and just cruise around on bikes, take the ferry to the city, just do dumb kid stuff and be back by dinnertime. Self-expression and adventure were encouraged by my parents. Music was always big in our house. My favorite song was “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer, and I still have the crayon drawing I did of her framed on my wall.
By high school, I knew I wanted to be an artist and ended up going to CCA in Oakland and SF. I was big into street art and the Beautiful Losers movement happening in the ’90s. They really influenced me and my style back then. I ended up moving to New York after college, and while I was there, the Dot com boom happened. Slowly but surely, the artists and counterculture got pushed out of the Bay Area to make room for tech. Now I live in North East LA, and it seems like everyone I meet is an artist, musician, designer, filmmaker, or all of the above. So yes, obviously, now I love North East LA way more. Although, if asked to do a show of all the iconic San Francisco establishments, I would probably not say no.
Could your work be considered a love letter to LA?
More than a love letter, it’s like we’re penpals. LA’s like, “Dear Meegan, did you know this about me?” And I’ll be like, “Wow, LA! That’s so cool, and it inspired me to make this!” And LA’s like, “That’s rad,” and I’ll be like, “Thanks! What else you got goin’ on?” And on it goes…
What’s a recent LA moment you captured?
I have a show coming up, and one of the pieces is a classic LA diner, Norm’s. I just went to the Ed Ruscha show at LACMA and saw his painting of Norm’s on fire. So, in honor of the current king of LA art, I made my Norm’s ablaze, as well. I also added a foxy fireman dousing the flames with his hose.
Fire! What are you working on right now?
Jon Hamm in a hot tub. It’s from a scene in this season’s Fargo, moments before he emerges naked in front of the FBI agents.
This interview was originally published in our FALL 2024 print editino. Meegan Barnes is exhibiting at NADA in Paris this October with Lefebvre & Fils and in January at Ceramics Brussels with Spax Projects.
