Artist Studio

I love talking with artists.  We’re both in the creativity business.  We start with a blank slate and dream of what could be.  The best things happen, when we dig in.  We experiment and try things that might work or might fail.

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I find that sometimes, initial client conversations have the same stakes.  As a creative, you want to work with someone that shares your values.  Does the client want to create something innovative?  Are they open to your ideas?  Or are they going to insist that you recreate something that has been done before or insist that you draw the layout exactly as they sketched it?

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As a creative, I want to avoid the latter client.  As a business owner, I want to work with everyone.  I also hold on to the notion that maybe after a discussion or two, we can shift the client into a more exciting direction.

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Our conversation with our artist, began in the unexciting camp.  The artist’s husband really liked the New England barn designs and had even looked at buying a kit that could be shipped and assembled on site. My enthusiasm waned a bit.

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However, our artist was at the same time open to our ideas. She asked, did we think that a New England barn would work as an art studio while also coexisting next to their 100 year old clapboard colonial?

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My short answer was, no; I thought we could do better.  My more tactful answer was a quick discussion about art.  An artist should strive to create art of its own time.  Mies van der Rohe used to cite the zeitgeist which means “spirit of the age.”  

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The idea consists of creating an art or an architecture in the present and not copying something from the past.  It’s a slippery concept because we can certainly be influenced from past works and styles, but I believe it’s important to strive to create something new which will in turn progress architecture.

After a quick mention of this idea, the artist quickly agreed.  And in hindsight, why wouldn’t she?  She creates art that progresses her field, why not design and build an architecture that does the same thing?

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And off we went!

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Feeling energized by our conversation, we developed multiple different concepts.  Some had some nods to the past, familiar rooflines and details, but juxtaposed by modern flourishes or wrapped in graphic design.

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It was in this thought of how do we highlight or discretely call out the significance of this art studio.  It can’t merely be an interesting building without some recognition of the magic that happens inside.  (For background, this is not a commercial art studio – so, there is not street sign, or entry for the public.  Rather this is art studio that has been built as a freestanding building adjacent to her home.  With that said, it’s on a suburban street with plenty of traffic.)

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I used two projects as precedent.  The first the Storefront for Art and Architecture in NYC by Steven Holl.  It’s an amazing little storefront that has a puzzle piece façade.  Where big moveable panels (like puzzle pieces) can open up toward the street front.  The panel colors are frequently changed and/or wrapped with graphic design elements. The building creates this ever changing projected image.  Both the shape and function scream creativity while drawing your attention inward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Figure : Storefront for Art and Architecture, NYC. Steven Holl
 

 

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Figure : Storefront for Art and Architecture, NYC

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The second project was the Caltrans Headquarters by Thom Mayne’s Morphosis.  Mayne frequently embeds graphic design directly into his buildings.  The name and address of the commercial building becomes a graphic design feature that then becomes part of the building’s façade; it’s incredible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Figure : Caltrans Headquarters, San Francisco. Morphosis

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Now back to reality, we’re designing a small art studio in suburban Racine, WI and it doesn’t have a large construction budget.  While I have to reel myself back in from time to time, I come from a construction background.  Ideas can be fleshed out and be innovative if you can figure out the details.

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While we couldn’t have a movable façade or laser cut metal, we could still be clever.  I asked for some of our artist’s work.  And I discovered that she worked in many different mediums.  One of which was acrylic.

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Our idea was to make her artwork part of the façade.  But like an art studio, the art needed to change and evolve.  We designed backlit stainless steel tracks that were integrated into the façade.  These tracks allowed for our artist to slide in acrylic panels that could also be easily changed out. The integrated artwork functions much like a Greek frieze but one that’s of its own time.

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If you’re ever driving through Racine at night and come across softly lit, glowing artwork that happens to be part of a rather unique building, you’ll know you’ve found our conversation with an artist.