ARTIST SPACES

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23 ARCH 546: PLACE AND DWELLING

William Clark

Place and Dwelling

Final Case Study

Creation Space:

How Artistic Media Effects Space, and the Effects of Space on Artistic Media

As humans, we have come to develop a non-stop, and deep, relation with

the space that we inhabit on a daily basis. Our jobs, our homes, and even our

cars all carry an important special element that helps us personalize our territory

in a special way. Space is an obsession to the human kind. We define spaces

as personal, public, introversive, extroversive, and beyond. Along with this

obsession comes the human need to augment space to specifically work to the

whim of the individual. This particular condition is found in the artists�’ world,

and becomes a condition beyond any similar one found in the lives of other

professions. By taking a closer look at the spaces that artists inhabit, is it

possible to reveal a particular character that invokes a creative spirit, or are

spaces of creation similar to other personalized spaces, where privacy, comfort,

and Ideas of home play deeply to the individual responsible for such a space?

The world of the arts is full of blurry lines and vague boundaries. The

term �‘artist�’ can be applied to a person with a paintbrush, cello, typewriter,

voice, skateboard, and countless millions of other possibilities where a refined

sense of skill and creative input are combined with raw human form and

emotion to evoke like thoughts to any person participating in the act of the

artist. When we look at the countless realms of the term �‘art�’, a not so obvious

relation is the necessities of space that each of these different forms may

require. Where a painter may get along well in a 100 square foot studio with a

window, a dancer would fair much better with a larger amount of space. A

photographer would enjoy a dark, humid room with the right chemical solvents

necessary to develop his film, whereas a draftsman depends on a well light and

arid area to work. Now that we see our becoming into the digital age, the

special component of the digital artist�’s workspace must have access to a

computer, where a painter might do best without the inherent cost of such

technology. If one is to accurately study the space in which creations are

conceived, it is only proper to be able to capture input from a vast array of

artistic disciplines and then we may come across a common form, or template,

or even a common phenomenological essence that unites the spaces where we,

as humans feel comfortable to expand our creative conscience and work on the

artistic media that we invoke. Different realms of art may exist in separate and

very alike environments. Is there a common aesthetic or spatial element that

invokes the human creative spirit? Is there a way to design for creativity? Is

there a common quality shared that could be applied across the many

disciplines of art?

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THE FINE ARTS

When we look at a field typically known as the �‘fine arts�’ we find studios

attributed to painting, drawing, and other media that are visually engaging.

Most of these works are uninteresting to the ears, nose, and tongue, yet our

eyes are in the focus of these genres. When the actual art is put aside, the raw

studio comes in to view and it is in this area that we encounter inputs through

the smell of the air, the feel of the materiality, the sound of the space. When one

is trying to invoke their creative mind, a very careful balance is necessary to

successfully achieve the art that they envision, and correctly translate their

thoughts to the media. There is a real personality to the space that exists in

these studios, because unlike dancing studios, kitchens, dark rooms, and band

rooms, the painting studio is a space usually meant for a single person. It is this

attribute that makes the fine art studios so much fun to explore because, like the

fingerprint of its resident, the studio is completely unique from any other.

Whether it is in a large complex of studios, or just a room in a residence, the

studio takes on multiple little trademarks of the artist until we are provided with

a unique space.

(Clark Filio�’s Studio)

An interesting trend found within the artistic community is a trend of

urban reclamation. So often we are given a closed down warehouse that

eventually becomes artistic studios. Clark Filio, a Boston area illustrator

provides an example of the transformed warehouse studio. When we look at a

studio of his earlier in his career it is actually a room in his house. Although the

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work produced is similar, we are given a very different special quality in the

studios provided. The earlier studio was an effect of finance, or lack there of.

Now with a larger space in a setting more attuned to his personal preference,

the quality and quantity of work has increased. (Filio)

The studio atmosphere is an important factor due to the effect that space

can have on us especially as modifier of our creative mind. When one feels

frustrated, claustrophobic, uncomfortable, or other negative emotion, the quality

and ease of the work created becomes more untenable. So we see the ways

where the artist takes license over the space and makes many minor additions

to the space to give the atmosphere wanted. As we see in the picture above,

the artist provides a small area rug to his immediate work area. Although the

rest seems bare, Clark gives the assurance that he enjoys the �‘raw unfinished�’

feeling of the space. The achromatic and aesthetically plain surrounding leaves

more time and intention to the work on the easel.

Other artists would prefer their studios to be surrounded in color and

inspirational aesthetic schemes and connections. With the case of an old

design professor of mine, Cathy Salchow, her home studio is a quaint room that

matches her personality. Being a strong proponent of Josef Albers, it came to

no surprise to us when she showed up to class with a bright yellow brace on her

knee after a small medical operation. Her space of creation was a custom

match to the creations that the space was responsible for and the same work

would most likely not be as realistic in the bleached studio of Clark�’s. (Salchow)

The raw paint and composition do not add the only form of creation to a

given piece, but the area in which it is displayed is equally as important. The

mood of a space does much to impact the art on display within the space. For

more modern and loose illustrations, it would be absurd to hang them in a

museum setting of yellow stone and a bourgeois clientele. A more meaningful

and well suited space is that of a smaller local gallery that serves plenty of

alcohol and offers the possibility of a disk jockey creating music with an obvious

groove, yet not prominent enough to dance to. Here we capitalize on the gallery

space to invoke the senses not quite realized by the painting or drawing. Where

the frame does not emit any sound or taste, the artist or curator of the event

works with the hors d'oeuvres, drink, and music choice to compliment both the

space and the work contained within it. (Meinenger)

In Cincinnati�’s gallery district down town we are encountered with a wide

array of different galleries of size and type. The main street district works with

smaller shop sized galleries where it is common to find the DJ and white wall

space where bright color and graphic work pieces are displayed. When we pull

the scope over to the Pendleton, we are confronted with the open studio format

where a multi story warehouse has been turned into a gallery and studio space

that houses many area artists. Most of the work is very traditional working on

bases of oil paints and graphite. Here the historic reapportionment architecture

plays well with the newly archaic forms of oil still lives. However, the most

interesting part of the gallery is the fact that there is little to no gallery once the

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viewer is inside. Here the studio of the artist plays both as the place of the

creation, and the exhibition space for the creation. One of the most interesting

studios I visited was one held by an Indian woman with a child in a stroller.

There were cubes of cheese, hummus, and pita. The work she created was a

reference to Jackson Pollock in the fact that there was no clearly recognizable

feature on the canvases except for the materials used: bright acrylic and gold

leaf. Every work was hung equidistant from the other, but there was one

exception, an almost negative of the rhythm to this point rather than having a

painted canvas on a white wall, there was the appearance of a white void in the

midst of paint splatter. As if a painting had just been done there and then

removed. Sure enough that was the case, yet the artist still decided to move

the piece out of its rhythm and off the wall into the middle of the room. This little

break from the pattern spoke much about the introvert mother and her studio.

After talking with her about her work for several minutes, I was able to figure out

the fact that she did not speak the best English, but her space and work spoke

out well and clear enough that I was left with a good idea of her personality.

Creative Spaces in Design

How does design differ from the creative arts? Design can vacillate on

the cusp of being art and even dive deep into the depths of art, yet still remain in

the realm of design. Why? Is the method of design so much different from that

of art? Can an artist be capable of design? Many questions of this caliber are

up to argument and one is destined to receive a whole flurry of different

responses on this topic. What truly have become interesting are the similarities

between the spaces that artists use to create as well as the differences that are

commonly seen in the spaces of designers. When analyzing the idea of an art

studio, we encounter smaller spaces meant to house the artist and maybe a

guest, where as in the world of design, inter-personal collaboration is key to

success. This is why we see less design studios meant for a single person, and

more spaces that will involve other designers together to work on a common

problem.

Design is described as a graphic form of problem solving, and a true test

of creative thinking mixed with analytical knowledge. It is the problem solving

aspect that creates a more extroversive space that welcomes other designers in

to greater spread the discourse through out the entire studio. In this format, the

spaces occupied by designers are less personalized due to the greater

population density, and more often are property of the company for which the

designer works.

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(James Zanoni�’s Office)

Working in a local office, LPK, James Zanoni works on elements of digital

design. Creating logos that we encounter in cyber space we are not given a

presentation space nor do we see the space that the designer exists within

when working on a project. All that we encounter is what we see on the extents

of a computer screen. Even though the design works with artistic influences

and media, the viewer of these animate and colorful schemes has no idea about

the intentions of the designer, the process involved, and the inherent cost that

the particular project runs with. When working on the digital media, we are so

often left with a product that technically does not exist, and the conceptual

realization and skill that goes into digital design is that much more inherent in

the designer. For this reason we find James�’s particular studio with small

inspirations and much personal work. The space where these conceptual

elements are realized plays as a very important modifier to the creation of such

pieces. (Zanoni)

Musical Space

The need for space extends ever so much to the musician. Where the

fine artist is content in a smaller room, the musician must pay keen attention to

the resonance and acoustics of a given area as well as containing an interesting

and involved aesthetic. If we are to look at the spaces that the musician acts

with in order to perform his or her music, we must find a space comfortable to

the viewer�’s age, socioeconomic class, health, and preference. Much like the

artist in the gallery, there must be much care taken to the special presentation of

the space that houses the musical presentation. A symphony is going to play in

a theatre with seats and with the tectonic elements arraigned in a way to amplify

and resound the noise of the orchestra. Meanwhile a louder modern band will

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use amplification methods to play to an open floor where the viewer is free to

move around and even dance. The allure may change based on countless

thousands of spectator preferences but the special element is not so easy to

change. The augmentation of music hall for a hip-hop show would be a painful

and potentially dangerous condition. So we see the majority of hip hop shows

happen in spaces that are very open with little ornament. We find spaces where

we count on the music to draw the full attention of the viewer so they cannot

look up to the unfinished ceiling.

When dealing with the creation of music, different genres will yield

different spaces for creation. A larger band is going to find and augment a

space that is large enough to house the members of the group where a single

electric musician can work out of their bedroom. Much like the artist�’s studio,

that of a musician is common to contain personal effects. However, a trend is

also visible where the musician chooses to practice their art. Due to the

portability of most musical instruments compared to the materials necessary to

make art, we find that the musician can also be very mobile. The musician may

define multiple spaces, indoors and out doors to be the space in which they

create. A guitar is easily transported to a different space where new inspiration

may be very relevant. In this way, a mobile musician can grasp several

concepts and influences from different areas and compose the output into a

single creation.

Mobility may work wonders for some, whereas for others, it may provide

for a creative �“vertigo�” of sorts. This is all dependant on the personal preference

of the individual artist, much like many other decisions about the special

existence of an individual.

Brodie Johnson is a cellist that has studied in Cincinnati�’s school of CCM.

The work that he creates is usually about taking the paradigm that the cello has

become and moving it to an all-new level. Combining his raw talent with

modern advances in music we are given a sound that is completely unfamiliar.

Voices looped over with cello percussion and bowing. Where space comes into

play, is when Brodie decides to play out for others. At home he simply finds a

quiet room, or finds another like-minded individual already busy with their own

instrument and joins along. There is little thought given to the special

surroundings of the impromptu work of Brodie. When he plays out, however, he

is usually draped in a canopy of color and sitting low to the ground with the

audience surrounding him. The visual component of the performance is one of

the most phenomenologically charged experiences I have yet witnessed. Once

this is mixed with the beautiful and strange sounds of the music, the mind

becomes clear of all conscious thought and instead becomes a sponge taking in

all that the entire experience has to offer. The spectators play a role in the

creation of the music in this space and even help to create the special aspect of

the concert. Surrounding the musician and often humming along in inordinate

frequencies, a sort of drone is created by the crowd as he projected color

reflects off the visages of those present. (Brodie Johnson)

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Hybrid Spaces

In exploring the processes behind local art scenes, of those that I have

encountered, I am a largest proponent of hybrid spaces. The hybrid space will

work off of both musical and visual art to incite multiple senses and provide for a

comfortable sensor overload where one is blissfully lost in seas of colors while

having every sense acted upon. Often times we are encountered with the term

reclamation again. If we take into example Skully�’s in Columbus, Ohio, we find

a large bar with a decent sized stage that brings all ranges of acts through town.

Yet we enter one of Columbus�’s bands that specialized in hybrid shows into the

mix and we find a bar draped in vibrant color and an even more pleasing

auditory sensation. Shin Tower Music is fronted by Tristan Suefert, a Columbus

area musician and painter. In the last few months he has been working on

combining a visually and sonically charged experience to give to unexpecting

crowds. Working with algorithmic sequences, Tristan is able to project a strong

visual component over the musicians on stage to compliment the already active

and charged music. When the same processes become applied to different

spaces, we notice that the spaces are temporarily changed. In a Cincinnati

basement, Shin Tower was able to change the special inflections and for a

moment the space was as large as a concert hall while still keeping the close,

personal, and comfortable feeling of a small communal space. A similar

occurrence happened at the Columbus Comfest musical festival. This time in

the opposite direction. When given an open-air stage, the band was

encountered with several new obstacles; the first being the open space was

entirely too big, the second being the fact that the daylight interfered with the

projections. Here the band had to count on good showmanship and an

impromptu white tarp to bring the passing crowds in. Eventually the group was

rewarded with success when a local paper happened on the small, yet active

group of individuals already on scene. (Suefert)

(Shin Tower Music, Pictures by Mumma)

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(Bunk Spot Warehouse)

In Cincinnati there is, or was a venue that housed some of the more

interesting hybrid acts to stumble into town. The Bunk Spot was an experiment

started by a local Cincinnati organization, Bunk News. The idea was to fight

urbanities decline by placing an interesting, and becoming venue in the heart of

Over the Rhine, A neighborhood ranked 1sr most dangerous place to be by

walletpop.com. Bunk News thought that the best way to fight this trend and

distinction was to bring a more trendy and intellectual crowd down to the area of

plight and try to involve the community better. The space was an old

abandoned warehouse on John Street. The space was zoned as a warehouse,

which ultimately led to the downfall of the bunk spot.

The warehouse, however, was low rent and low maintenance, so naturally

it became s space for instillation art, music, fine arts, sculpture, and about any

other creative common, even including skateboarding. The organizers of the

space would augment the space to create new and interesting views if an

interior environment as shown above with the �‘Bunk News Campout�’ where the

columns were dressed with cardboard as trees, televisions were piled into a

stack and turned to display fire. Benches and tents were provided as various

musical acts, some scheduled, others impromptu exploded all around the

space. Of the acts to inhabit the space, it was not surprise to fine Honest Abe, a

collective including the afore mentioned Brodie Johnson, playing there. With

various projections, hung artworks, and interactive kinetic sculpture, the space

was more of an experiment in experience rather then a venue. In late 2009 the

Cincinnati fire marshal ordered the space to close down due to the zoning of the

space and the difference it had to the actual program.

The closure of the Bunk Spot dealt a blow to the spontaneous creative

community, yet the community was able to adapt. When Bunk News moved the

space to the Mockbee, an abandoned brewery a block away from the original

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John Street location. The new location offers several new spatial elements not

encountered in the previous location. Being an old brewery, the Mockbee is

made up of several concrete vaults spread over three levels. The most

important distinction is the fact that the Mockbee has been a venue for a while

and has since then been retrofitted to serve that purpose. Obtaining the proper

zoning, and lacking a clientele, the Mockbee matched Bunk News well enough

to combine forces to host new shows and performance art. Although not as

homey as the previous location, there are different spatial experiments that can

be played with the vaulting of the interiors. Of the several times I have been

through the space there is always a separation in the theme of the spaces with

heavy concrete walls, the noise is completely dampened from space to space

allowing each space to have its own unique quality.

(Evolve Projects)

Of the acts that have been through the space, a very unique experience

was to be had when a group called �‘Evolve Projects�’ performed at the John

Street location. Evolve Projects links hip-hop with live theatre with visual art and

a strong political component. Several props were placed around the space and

the audience that eventually came into play. One of which, a cardboard tower

appeared to blast fabric out of the top until the spectators found out that the

same fabrics were the clothes the performer contained within. Interestingly

enough, the juxtaposition of having an animated nude form running around a

vastly open and public space, completely wrecked previous conceptions of the

happenings of such spaces. The simple act of performing his set in the nude

crushed the previous conceptions that the audience in attendance had of

performance space. (Projects)

Conclusion

The spaces of artists�’ house the very emotion that drives an individual to

create. When we look at the commons of all artists we encounter many different

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ideas and ways of expressing ones self. The space that an artist procures is

often times sacred to the individual, and other times, just another space to get

away to. Over wide varieties of the arts, reclamation of used and abandoned

space seems to be a trend. Is the reasoning for re-purposing space based

solely on cost, or is there a nostalgic austerity that surrounds old spaces that

are used in a new manner that all artists enjoy? Is it out of a warped trendy

belief in sustainable environments or is it a method of combating the negative

connotations given living in an urban environment? As far as my findings have

lead me, it is solely a personal decision. I have expected the answer to be as

such for the majority of the time I spent talking to random interesting people

about their spatial utopiate.

The augmentation of a studio space is a personal decision. Where the

work is showcased and how the work is showcased all plays along the same

strand of decisions. The truth is that a studio is an extension of ones self, much

like that of a home or car. Decisions are made based on ones�’ character and

their wants. A vibrant person will cater their studio with eye candy and

inspiration where a modernist will enjoy the simplicity of the white walls meeting

the ceiling in a simple, clean connection that is left void of any busy aesthetic.

The personal decision not only speaks to the creators about themselves, but

also speaks to the visitor when language or disability serves as an inhibitor. For

those few moments spent in the Indian woman�’s studio, I was able to break all

my stereotypical judgments against her based solely on her creations and

methods if sampling such work.

Like the art that the individual creates within a space, the actual space

and the changes that we perceive is nothing more than a method of

communication so primitive, that now it is barely recognizable by our modern

culture, yet we continue to read it. It is the same reason why one buys a certain

home in a certain place. The space that we occupy is in continual conversation

with others and us. By giving a good listen to a spatial conversation of an artist,

we are provided with some previously unheard insight to his or her individual

creation.

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