THE STUDIO
AN ART STUDIO IN ITSELF IS A WORK OF ART. SOMETIMES IT CAN BE A PHYSICAL SPACE, AND SOMETIMES IT IS JUST WHAT YOUR MIND CAN ALLOW YOU TO STORE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS WRITING IS TO EXPRESS THE NECESSITY OF AN ART STUDIO FOR THE ARTIST. I HAVE HAD MANY ART STUDIOS IN THE FORM OF A KITCHEN TABLE, MAKE-SHIFT DESK, SKETCH-BOOK, AND A RAT INFESTED STALE CUBICLE SETTING. NO SPACE WILL EVER BE PERFECT FOR THE ULTIMATE EXPANSION OF ONE’S THOUGHTS, IDEAS, AND CONCEPTS. I HAVE SEEN ARTISTS MOVE INTO GIANT SPACES THAT SEEM IDEAL OR EVEN DREAM-LIKE, BUT I HAVE ALSO SEEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF TAKING UP SO MUCH ROOM. I HAVE ALSO WITNESSED MY PEERS CREATE EXCELLENT WORKS RIGHT BESIDE WHERE THEY SLEEP.
I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE ARTIST TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR PRACTICE IS COMFORTABLE. I LEARNED IN UNDERGRAD THAT I FIND COMMUNAL SPACES MUCH MORE ENRICHING TO MY PROCESS. I THINK ABOUT THE DAYS MY CLASSMATES AND I USED TO STAY UP ALL NIGHT IN THE LARGE PAINTING CLASSROOMS CREATING, QUESTIONING AND CRITICIZING OUR WORKS IN PROGRESS.
THE PANDEMIC RUINED A LOT OF THAT FOR ME AND MANY CREATIVES. I FELT SO ISOLATED AT HOME WITH MY FAMILY. I FELT LIKE A BIG FAT IDIOT FOR TAKING UP A CAREER THAT COINCIDES WITH SPACE. SPACE IS LUXURY. I AM A NEW YORKER, AND I AM OKAY WITH LIVING BETWEEN STACKS OF OTHER FAMILIES, AND WATCHING REAL-ESTATE SCHMUCKS EXPAND MY HOMETOWN VERTICALLY. DURING THE PANDEMIC, I WATCHED MY CLASSMATES PAINT IN THEIR BACKYARDS AND CREATE GIANT OIL PAINTINGS IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOMES. IN CONTRAST, I WAS TAPING WORK ON THE SAME WALL MY BED LEANS UP AGAINST AND I PAINTED WITH LEFTOVER WALL PAINT.
IT TOOK ME TWO FULL YEARS AFTER MY UNDERGRAD EXPERIENCE TO FEEL SECURE ENOUGH TO INVEST IN A STUDIO SPACE. I FELT SO LUCKY TO FIND A SPACE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, MY PRICE RANGE, AND A LOVELY VIEW OF MY CITY. THIS SPACE ALLOWED ME TO EXPAND MY PRACTICE FROM BUILDING THIS SITE, TO CREATING NEW WORKS BASED ON RESEARCH METHODS I DID NOT HAVE IN UNDERGRAD. I WAS MAKING WORK THAT I WAS CONNECTING WITH IN THIS SPACE AND I GOT TO SHARE THE JOURNEY WITH MY FRIENDS AND SUPPORTIVE FAMILY.
A YEAR LATER AND I AM MOVING OUT OF MY STUDIO SPACE ONCE AGAIN. THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING I HAD PLANNED TO DO, BUT ULTIMATELY I FEEL DEEP IN MY HEART THAT THIS IS THE CORRECT CHOICE FOR ME. ALTHOUGH I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE THIS SHARED STUDIO WORK FOR MY PRACTICE, OTHER FACTORS BEGAN TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GROW IN THIS SPACE.
MY ART PRACTICE LIVES IN MY EYES, IN MY IDEAS, AND IN MY HANDS. I UNDERSTAND THAT HAVING A SPACE IS VERY CHALLENGING, BUT SO IS ART MAKING. I KNOW MY PRACTICE HAS A LIFE THAT WILL BE LONGER THAN MY OWN
.I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE ARTIST TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR PRACTICE IS COMFORTABLE. I LEARNED IN UNDERGRAD THAT I FIND COMMUNAL SPACES MUCH MORE ENRICHING TO MY PROCESS. I THINK ABOUT THE DAYS MY CLASSMATES AND I USED TO STAY UP ALL NIGHT IN THE LARGE PAINTING CLASSROOMS CREATING, QUESTIONING AND CRITICIZING OUR WORKS IN PROGRESS.
THE PANDEMIC RUINED A LOT OF THAT FOR ME AND MANY CREATIVES. I FELT SO ISOLATED AT HOME WITH MY FAMILY. I FELT LIKE A BIG FAT IDIOT FOR TAKING UP A CAREER THAT COINCIDES WITH SPACE. SPACE IS LUXURY. I AM A NEW YORKER, AND I AM OKAY WITH LIVING BETWEEN STACKS OF OTHER FAMILIES, AND WATCHING REAL-ESTATE SCHMUCKS EXPAND MY HOMETOWN VERTICALLY. DURING THE PANDEMIC, I WATCHED MY CLASSMATES PAINT IN THEIR BACKYARDS AND CREATE GIANT OIL PAINTINGS IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOMES. IN CONTRAST, I WAS TAPING WORK ON THE SAME WALL MY BED LEANS UP AGAINST AND I PAINTED WITH LEFTOVER WALL PAINT.
IT TOOK ME TWO FULL YEARS AFTER MY UNDERGRAD EXPERIENCE TO FEEL SECURE ENOUGH TO INVEST IN A STUDIO SPACE. I FELT SO LUCKY TO FIND A SPACE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, MY PRICE RANGE, AND A LOVELY VIEW OF MY CITY. THIS SPACE ALLOWED ME TO EXPAND MY PRACTICE FROM BUILDING THIS SITE, TO CREATING NEW WORKS BASED ON RESEARCH METHODS I DID NOT HAVE IN UNDERGRAD. I WAS MAKING WORK THAT I WAS CONNECTING WITH IN THIS SPACE AND I GOT TO SHARE THE JOURNEY WITH MY FRIENDS AND SUPPORTIVE FAMILY.
A YEAR LATER AND I AM MOVING OUT OF MY STUDIO SPACE ONCE AGAIN. THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING I HAD PLANNED TO DO, BUT ULTIMATELY I FEEL DEEP IN MY HEART THAT THIS IS THE CORRECT CHOICE FOR ME. ALTHOUGH I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE THIS SHARED STUDIO WORK FOR MY PRACTICE, OTHER FACTORS BEGAN TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GROW IN THIS SPACE.
MY ART PRACTICE LIVES IN MY EYES, IN MY IDEAS, AND IN MY HANDS. I UNDERSTAND THAT HAVING A SPACE IS VERY CHALLENGING, BUT SO IS ART MAKING. I KNOW MY PRACTICE HAS A LIFE THAT WILL BE LONGER THAN MY OWN