Upon recieving the news that our class will be meeting in Times Square, my face slumped, it seemed so unappealing to visit artist studios in a place that falsifies and mutates New York City into this completely commercial and consumer-friendly tourist block. A place where the shiny bright, panoramic screens with the highest technology advertise for a product you don't need or a fancy model that makes you feel physically incompitent yet mentally alieviated. But it's no use complaining, friends from class and myself make our way around the crowded, and obnoxiously stimulating tumult towards an artists studio around the area to meet with the rest.
As we, bewildered, stood around the pre-determined address, we waited for quite a bit, until everyone caught up. After much hessitant patience and indetermined time-passing, we made our way inside the studio.
The area was interesting. I always pictured an artist studio as a, many would call, 'bohemian' atmosphere, yet upon entering this building, it looked like the reception lobby for a crestfallen apartment building. (And I state this in the kindest of forms)
As we reach the Second floor and enter the Robert Blackburn artist studio, my eyes, dull from the excessive travel ventures and all around silly environment, light up to see what is this studio. It faintly resembled the printshop I usally work in by having various presses, but that was it. The rest looked so 'professional' (if I could be so vague). Organization was clearly set out everywhere and those using the machienery were careful, calculated and neat; something the printshop I usually work in tends to lack. I wouldn't say it was 'love' at first site, but it surely was engaging and hopeful from the perspective of a student of the arts, such as myself.
Our professor greeted a scruffy man in the printshop in a friendly manner, something I understood as less professional and more friendly than anything. This encounter came to make more sense upon the scruffy man's introduction; they had both studied together in college, one a year above the other. This could seem like a completely unrelevant observation, yet I wanted to state it because they both graduated from the college I am currently attending and, at least for me, it gives a sense of relief to believe someone that studied in my same academia is working in such a lovely environment, working on what he actually got a degree on. Also, the concept of mantaining communication with those that attended college with you is a wonderful thing that, one day, I hope to experience years after my graduation.
The tour of the Robert Blackburn Studio had begun and, though sounding expensive to become a member of it, the facilities and conditions sounded very appealing for a printmaker. The thought of renting time to use a studio seemed foreign, to say the least, yet practical and less stressful. By paying for said facilities, one would never had to deal with a mound of scatterbrained people doing their prints the night before their 8:30 class. This was just a beautiful concept, pricy, yet beautiful.
While the tour went on, our 'tourguide'(if you will) showed us varous artists works and their methodology. It was fascinating to hear other more experienced and neat processes for the same thing I, supposedly, know how to do in the most basic of fashions. I could easily say this was the most educational section in terms of the craft of printmaking, rather than the occupation of it.
As the tour of the printshop concluded, we all centered around our guide as he came to present verious projects the Robert Blackburn Studio had fueled and those it has produced. He showed us prints of famous artitsts, commissioned by the Studio, where the studio printed the artists work and kept half, to thus spread the artistic talent. The thought of printing someone else's work is frantic, yes, but it's an exciting challenge to do a large series with no mistakes and as much neatness as possible. This idea was very luring to myself.
The other section of this 'huddle' included our tourguide presenting a magazine called 'Carrier Pidgeon'. This is a concept he, and various artists had developed as they met in various places, one being the Robert Blackburn Gallery. The concept was very enticing and also quite useful. Each issue presented a set of artists along with some of their work. Some were decent, skilled in the craft yet unmoving in the art, but some were quite amazing, these artists inspired yet frightened me with the thought that my art would one day have to compare with people at this level. All in all, the magazine was very well done and published and the circumstance of various artists getting together to produce this is simply awestriking.
As we finished this tour, I spent some time admiring the facilities and asking for information to one day hope to get an internship in this studio. I would really love to try this, yet the only issue presented is financial, for the transportation would come close to costing at least $30 a week.
Seems like you can find a gem amongst a place that produces such disgust in your mouth.
-Bettina
Glad you were able to swallow your disgust long enough to make it to class. (I'm kidding, I appreciate that you don't hold back your sense of humor in this response.) But your initial reaction to hearing about the neighborhood, as compared to what we saw inside each of the studios, is instructive. And it brings up something that profoundly shapes studios and print shops, especially in NYC: real estate.
ReplyDeleteThe way it usually happens is that artists move into a vacant building that used to serve another purpose, like a factory, warehouse, etc. The reason the place we went looked strange to you is because those buildings were probably former fashion showrooms on some floors, so the lobby needed to look fancy. At the same time, beat-up buildings in Brooklyn are now being snatched up for use as high-end art galleries, etc.
I will second Justin's statement that for anyone who really wants to master the craft of printing, it's absolutely necessary to work in a professional environment for at least a short time, and internships really come in handy for such a purpose. If you are seriously considering interning somewhere but are worried about the money, you may be able to look into financial aid to cover your expenses. I know that students are able to receive financial aid to pay for Study Abroad programs, so it's definitely worth asking at the very least.