Welcome to the 325th edition of A View From the Easel, where artists offer insights into their creative environments. This week, artists delve into the realm of the intangible and investigate the visual language of binding. Interested in participating? Review our submission guidelines and share details about your studio via this form. All mediums and workspaces, including home studios, are invited.
James Horner, based in the Bronx, New York, has occupied his current studio for just over three months. His typical day involves working on four to five paintings simultaneously, starting with simple line drawings from live models or photos. To maintain his creative momentum, he listens to alternative and 1980s new wave music, sometimes dancing around his studio as he works. The studio’s high ceilings and open layout, visually linked to other artists’ spaces, enhance his sense of freedom and exploration.
Horner draws inspiration from the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo, both near his studio. As a queer artist, he appreciates the Bronx’s cultural diversity and the supportive community at the Bronx River Art Center, where he rents his studio. He values the camaraderie and feedback from fellow artists. Despite being content with his studio’s affordability and proximity to his Scarsdale home, Horner finds the Bronx Museum particularly charming for its intimate viewing experience and has actively participated in its programs.
In Tijuana, Mexico, Ingrid Hernández has been working in her studio for fifteen years. She splits her time between two distinct spaces: one for organizing and experimenting with her photographic projects, and another for writing, overlooking the city. Her routine begins at 5am, allowing her to reflect and write in the early hours. Her artistic practice is rooted in photography and writing, which she balances with coordinating exhibitions and publications.
Hernández’s work is deeply connected to the spaces she photographs, often requiring her to physically inhabit these locations. Her studio, located in her childhood home, blends domestic and artistic activities, much like her grandmother’s restaurant where she grew up. Though she loves her studio’s personal history, she wishes for more space and natural light. Her favorite local institution, Centro Cultural Tijuana, complements her practice, which is centered on dialogues with people who open their homes to her photography.
