Welcome to the 295th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, artists work to the sound of electricity buzzing and find community in the Chicago art scene.
Want to take part? Check out our submission guidelines and share a bit about your studio with us through this form! All mediums and workspaces are welcome, including your home studio.
Michelle Alexander, Chicago, Illinois
How long have you been working in this space?
I signed the lease in November, right around Thanksgiving. Signing the lease and settling into a new space felt like a turning point, both personally and creatively.
Describe an average day in your studio.
There is no strict routine right now. I squeeze in time around everything else in my schedule. I usually work on multiple pieces at once, letting them inform each other, things overlapping and half-finished. I thrive and sometimes crumble in the chaos. I listen to music, podcasts, or watch Netflix. Some days I make a mess. Other days I just stare, feeling stuck but waiting for the courage to try something I have been imagining.
How does the space affect your work?
Whatever is in my line of sight influences me, whether it is unfinished work, scraps, a sound, or a passing thought. In grad school, my studio was windowless and underground. I lost all sense of time. Now, with these beautiful windows and natural light in my new studio, I feel more open. Seeing the sky changes my mood, and I think that is starting to shift the work too.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
Having my studio at Mana Contemporary is a gift. It is full of creatives who understand. There is feedback, community, and a lot of energy. I also feel lucky to be part of the larger Chicago art scene. Grad school helped me to plug into a vibrant, supportive, and diverse artist community.
What do you love about your studio?
That it is just mine. A private space where I can experiment, make a mess, fail, and try again without anyone watching until I am ready. My studio is my creative sanctuary.
What do you wish were different?
I wish it were close enough to walk. Some of my best ideas come when I am moving. The commute, especially with large awkward materials, can be draining.
What is your favorite local museum?
The Art Institute of Chicago, especially the Modern Wing. I always return to it. The work hits differently depending on where I am mentally or emotionally.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
Clear Elmer’s glue, fabric, string, and staples. They are raw, direct, and strangely emotional. They feel foundational, simple, familiar, and a little bit primal.
Sa’dia Rehman, Columbus, Ohio
How long have you been working in this space?
One year.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I start my time in the studio with light cleaning, maybe sweeping, organizing my desk. This repetitive task often leads me to a mark on a paper, a dust ball in the corner, a cutout I hadn’t seen in months. My curiosity is piqued, and then I begin. I like working to the sounds around me — my studiomates chatting, the HVAC system humming, electricity buzzing. I like jumping from work to work — keeps me on my toes and guessing.
How does the space affect your work?
Immensely. I’ve been working more on the go. I’m between studios and moving to Minneapolis. So I draw on my iPad and on small sheets of paper that I can carry in a folder. The work grows with the size of my space.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
I was in a studio at Columbus Printed Arts, now called Center for Print and Collaborative Arts. My studio was in a workshop with printmaking, letterpress, and photo and printing capabilities. Artists came in and out of the workshop to make t-shirts, posters, prints. It was fun to meet them all.
What do you love about your studio?
I love the sunlight.
What do you wish were different?
I wish the wood floors were finished. The splinters from the floors are kicked up from my walking and sometimes embed themselves in my ankles, through my socks! It is something that I wish were different but will strangely miss!
What is your favorite local museum?
Columbus Museum of Art.
What is your favorite art material to work with?
Charcoal.
​Â
