Studio practice: What is it? Why do artists value it?
What is 'studio practice'?
An artist's studio practice is defined by the processes, research and experimentation that takes place in the artist’s studio.
An artist studio is a place where an artist works and focuses on developing their practice.
Why do artists value studio practice?¹
A studio’s physical qualities will inform artistic practice.
Artistic practices are widely diverse and will determine the type of space the artist can work in. Conversely, a studio space can also shape, guide or restrict the boundaries of an artist’s practice and the type of experimentation, research and processes they engage in.
When thinking about a studio space, artists will consider things such as natural light, room size (including floor space and ceiling height), facilities (like a sink and running water or fire safety compliance), building structure (to accommodate things like weight or excessive noise), aesthetics (some artists will use their studio as an exhibition space) and accessibility issues (some heavy or large work may require a lift or wider doorways).
‘The ACE studio plays a significant role in the practical development of my work because I’ve never had a wall which is larger enough to project, and clearer enough to project my work at, in the editing phase. When you're editing a video file, it’s really impractical to edit it on a laptop screen if you're going to be projecting that work at a very large scale because you're not getting a true representation of how that imagery is going to be received. And, it's been critical in the development of my work for this end of year exhibition because it allowed me to see my work in real time.’
Georgia Button, 2023 ACE Studio Program artist.
‘I’ve never had a studio space like this before, so just having the space and the time and support to make the biggest work I’ve ever made, to have the space to buy big things, to make big things.'
Teresa Busutil, 2023 ACE Studio Program artist.
Artwork production thrives in a managed studio away from home.
A studio space that is dedicated to artistic practice encourages artists to engage in uninterrupted work time, and provides a space to promote, show and sell their work to visiting curators, private collectors and the broader public.
For many artists, a space that is outside of the home and physically distanced from their domestic activities and environment, can provide a psychological separation that allows them to focus on their artistic practice and conduct themselves as a professional.
Many artists have studios in spaces managed by an organisation. This type of arrangement gives the artists a sense of financial security and removes stressors like paying bills on time or maintenance. ACE provides their studio spaces at no cost to the artist, however, overall this is uncommon.
‘Having the studio at ACE this year has been incredible for my practice. I’ve been allowed to set up a homebase in a central location to work with visiting curators for a few shows that I’ve had. The ACE Studios Program removes the burden of having to pay rent, you have a free studio space and you have it for a year.’
Brad Darkson, 2023 ACE Studio Program artist.
An artist’s studio space is central to their sense of identity and wellbeing.
Artist studios provide social value to artists. Working in close proximity to other artists can be a driving force of motivation and inspiration for their own artistic practice.
A studio's physical space gives an artist the space to develop and nurture their own artistic language. It is a space where artists can concentrate on their work and experiment with ideas without judgement or expectations. Similarly, a dedicated space for artistic practice, in which artists can create noise and fumes, allows them to be uninhibited in their art making.
‘The space at ACE gives me so much time and space to reflect more deeply on my work. I’m able to use the space to plan, to draw, to read and to really delve into the ideas I'm working with. It also allows me to connect with so many different people. It’s just so generous to be able to receive insight from visiting curators, from the other artists in the space. It’s really given me so much confidence in what I’m doing.’
Jennifer Matthews, 2023 ACE Studio Program artist.
‘When I first started working as an artist, a lot of that was through covid and during lockdowns. So, I was doing a lot of video making at home. In the last year I’ve really been more interested in making sculptural work. Mostly because I’ve had the space at ACE to collect objects, and that’s given me more confidence to show objects rather than showing them through a screen.’
Teresa Busutil, 2023 ACE Studio Program artist.
Studios enable artists to become embedded in their communities and strengthen their practice.
Artist studios have many benefits to both the artists in residence and the broader community that they work within. When an artist becomes embedded within a community, the relationships formed with the community and culture of a neighbourhood can provide artistic inspiration to the artist, while the artist helps to generate cultural, economic, social and placemaking value.
‘ACE studios has been really good for my practice. I am not one for networking. I hate going to exhibitions and walking around with a glass of wine. But, being at ACE studios has allowed me to, I guess, be really genuine when I’m making connections with people because ACE, kind of, do the work for me…People are coming into my space because they want to have a conversation. And, I really like that aspect of it because it’s something that as an artist, you're kind of stuck in your studio and forget about that. But ACE has been a really good challenge in that way where I’ve kind of walked away much more confident in my practice and what it has become.’
Truc Trong, 2023 ACE Studio Program artist.
Prompt
Professional artists need to be able to clearly articulate what their practice is.
Explore studio practices at ACE via the links below or visit the studios in-person. Then, think about your own artistic practice. How would your artistic development benefit from time in the studio?
Write a reflective essay describing what your current practice is, before identifying the specific processes, research and experimentation your practice could benefit from.
Footnotes
❶ The four key points above answering the question ‘Why do artists value studio practice?’ are based on the findings of a research report about the value of artist studios that was published in 2022 by Acme Studios. Acme is a London based charity that supports artists with affordable studios, housing and residencies. The report is cited below:
Bartlett School of Planning, University College London; Ferm, J.; Sendra, P.; Martins, J.; Manzini Ceinar, I. and Ilie, E. (2022). Understanding the Value of Artists Studios - Childers Street Studios. Acme Artist Studios Ltd, London. Accessed 7 December 2023 at https://acme.org.uk/assets/originals/Understanding-the-Value-of-Artists-Studios-UCL-parternship-report.pdf
This education resource was written by ACE's Education Coordinator Alise Hardy.