An Artist’s Perspective: Insights from the Easel
A View from the Easel: How Studio Spaces Shape Artistic Practice
Since its inception, A View from the Easel has provided a candid and intimate glimpse into the inner working spaces of artists around the world. Now in its 280th installment, this ongoing Hyperallergic series continues to shine a light on the environments that not only support but inspire creative expression. From brownstone attics in Bed-Stuy to softly lit SoHo lofts, these studios offer a unique reflection of the artists who inhabit them.
Art in a Brownstone: A Studio Full of History
For one artist, the top floor of a family-owned brownstone in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn has become more than just a workspace — it’s a living archive. Passed down through four generations, the building itself breathes history, and the studio is filled with relics from the past: an antique ironing board, a tin ceiling panel, even a collection of old keys. These found objects fuel a personal exploration into themes of displacement and identity, offering a tangible link between the past and the present.
With a full-time job outside of their art practice, the artist balances creative time with professional obligations, typically working late afternoons into the evening. Pressure mounts during exhibition prep, sometimes leading to overnight work sessions — a testament to the passion and discipline required in the life of a working artist.
Despite its charm, the non-traditional layout of the bedroom-turned-studio requires inventive hanging strategies for large works. Still, the artist cherishes the proximity to home and values the strong sense of neighborhood. Walks through Bed-Stuy have led to discoveries of other hidden studios and quirky public projects like the Bed-Stuy Aquarium, where locals constructed a goldfish pond beneath a fire hydrant.
More Than a Space: A SoHo Studio as Sanctuary
Another artist writing from the heart of SoHo has occupied the same studio for an astonishing 45 years — a rare feat in the shifting landscape of New York City real estate. Starting work as early as 6am, the artist treasures the natural light that spills into the studio at dawn, describing the space as serene and filled with clarity. It’s within this quiet environment that photography flourishes, grounded by an intimate connection to the surroundings.
Beyond the studio walls, everyday interactions — from morning walks to neighborhood markets — fuel a sense of belonging. The city’s cultural treasures, particularly the exhibitions scattered across the boroughs and the renowned American Museum of Natural History, provide continual inspiration for this lifelong photographer.
The Furniture of Creativity: How Studio Spaces Matter
These stories highlight a truth often overlooked: the studio itself plays a pivotal role in artistic creation. Whether an attic filled with family heirlooms or a loft aglow in morning light, the physical setting shapes mood, pace, and even medium. One artist noted a shift from working with heavier wood to lighter paper, prompted not by aesthetics alone, but by the real physical toll of laboring over heavier materials.
Meanwhile, access to the local art community and public programming brings vital energy and exchange. Artists are not isolated in their cocoons; rather, their neighborhoods, communities, and even weather patterns interact symbiotically with their creativity.
Artistic Spaces as Living Portraits
What emerges from these vignettes is not just a record of studios but a living portrait of creative lives in motion. These environments—cluttered or pristine, historic or modern—become an extension of the artist’s identity. They hold stories, invite experimentation, and foster resilience.
Readers are encouraged to explore their own surroundings through a new lens. What might your environment offer if you lean into its textures, its legacy, and its potential?
If you or someone you know maintains a studio space—big or small, shared or solitary—consider participating in A View from the Easel. Hyperallergic welcomes new submissions from artists of every background and discipline.
Explore the call for submissions here and share your unique studio story.
In a time when creative expression is more essential than ever, these insights remind us that art isn’t only about the final work—it’s about the space, time, and soul that shape it.