Sculptor Lars Fisk has contributed his visionary artistry to Phish’s amazing one-band festivals, starting with the Clifford Ball, which set the whole ball rolling back in 1996. Fisk and Vermont builder extraordinaire Russ Bennett have served as co-creative directors of every Phish festival (except for 2009’s Festival 8, due to previous commitments).

Their responsibility is the visual design of each festival, which involves meetings with band members about possible concepts early in the planning process. In addition to their own hands-on work, Fisk and Bennett hire artists and crews and oversee the projects’ implementation. Sometimes the construction continues during the festival, allowing concertgoers to witness art being created in real time and to participate themselves.

Fisk – who is currently director of the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, New York – recently hooked up by phone with Trey Anastasio to take a retrospective look at past Phish festivals and offer a tantalizing taste of what’s to come at Super Ball IX.

Here is a transcript of their freewheeling, far-ranging conversation, visit http://superballix.com/treylars.html