Some Magazine #18—Studio Practice

Some Magazine Studio Practice

LISA SMIRNOVA, LISA TIEMANN & MAX RÖDEL, JOSEPHINE RAIS, ANNA NEZHNAYA, TOPYA, FILA GRAPHIC LAB

Marie Hazard, Mexico, January 2019, photo by Côme Salvaire

Contributors

Lisa Smirnova is a textile artist from Moscow who has found a new home in Cascais, Portugal. She has been working with textiles for many years and keeps experimenting with shapes and textures. We asked her about her current studio situation and the message she tries to convey with her art.

In Lisa Tiemann’s ongoing sculptural series of couples, she collects a series of unintentional forms through sketches, which she then selects and translates into solid shapes. They are then meticulously juxtaposed, one against the other, seeking their fit into harmonic two-folded bodies bringing a sensorial material dialog into play.

Max Rödel’s paintings speak of a very intuitive use of color that goes beyond the canvas. The overlapping layers of oil come in gradual strokes that run across the surface, recognizing the needs that each canvas communicates to him.

Nestled in Berlin’s creative landscape is the talented digital illustrator Josephine Rais. Her vibrant works depict powerful scenes from everyday life, featuring diverse protagonists in unconventional poses.

Berlin-based artist, Anna Nezhnaya explores identity in the post-Internet age and the slippery divide between reality and virtual reality, in paintings, light objects, drawings. Her work oscillates between objectivity and abstraction.

Topya is a collective founded in 2022 by Katharina Brackemann, Mia Mahn, Lisa Wessler. It is an experiment dedicated to designing an intersectional-feminist future through collective dreaming and riso zines. Their regular events and workshops focus on bringing people together to collaboratively dream of a better world.

Previous pages: Marie Hazard, Mexico, January 2019 photo by Côme Salvaire Instagram: @mariehazard

Left page: Sebastian Curi & Macarena Luzi Studio Los Angeles, California

Instagram: @sebacuri @macarenaluzi

“I think of my studio as a vegetable garden, where things follow their natural course. They grow, they ripen. You have to graft, you have to water.”

Joan

Miró

Studio Practice

Sven Völker

The artist’s studio is a magic, a legendary, a fabled place. Its concept establishes itself in an earliest form with those painters and sculptors who began to see themselves as social figures in the 13th century. It was only then that they left their role as anonymous craftsmen in anonymous workshops as it was common since ancient times. These artists of the early Renaissance developed their own artistic personality and surrounded themselves with other talented craftsmen that would help to establish their studios and workshops. They achieved great fame far beyond the regional borders of their time. This development resulted in an artist’s studio that became more than just a place of production, but also a creative home to a certain way and a culture of doing things. This concept of the studio would shape artists and their daily routines for more than half a millennium, right up to Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory. That place in New York was being named “factory”

A place to think

The Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci is credited with this quote: “An artist’s studio should be a small space because small rooms discipline the mind and large ones distract it.” In todays high rent realities most artists might anyway have no other choice than to reduce their studio space to a minimum or to share it with others. But in respect to distraction, what good is the smallest studio if it has a broadband Internet connection to the endless world out there? Creativity requires at least some concentration, some undisturbedness and to some degree nothingness a place to think. In the Italian city of Bologna, you can visit the small and very modest studio of the painter and graphic artist Giorgio Morandi. He used and loved his studio until his death in June 1964, when he had long since become world-famous himself and his small paintings hung in the world’s most important museums.

Routines and rituals

While daily routines tend to refer to those things that need to be done regularly, such as answering emails, mixing paint or posting on social media, we see rituals as meaningful practices that serve a greater purpose. However, the two concepts also often intermingle and then form the basis of our artistic practice. Lucio Fontana’s incised canvases, Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings or the ritualized secret routine in both Banksy’s totally secret and unpredictable forms production. Developing and managing your routines and rituals are probably the most important key to progress in your work. Clear goals are rarely in front of us and the direction is not always obvious. But if we see our way forward step by step as the results of our personal studio practice, the reward is the slow manifestation of our own body of work over time.

Archive

Another very important function of the studio is that of the archive actually two different archives. First, it is the place where we collect and document the work sometimes studios resemble storerooms. Second is an archive, in which we collect external influences and inspirations: books upon books, sketchbooks and drawers of drawings, some garbage, other treasures, small figurines, stones, collections of music of all kinds and eras. Materials and semi-finished products that stimulate the imagination and sometimes at a later point might become works of art themselves. The task of every studio owner is to manage his or her archive of input and output, a task that often requires a considerable amount of time and effort.

Left page: Micah Lexier, Office/Studio wall, Friday, November 17, 2023 10:56 a.m. Instagram: @micahlexier

Left page and this page: noma Copenhagen, photo by Ditte Isager Instagram: @nomacph

Paparazzi. Dungeness, 1989, photo by Derek Brown

Christ figure and Joseph pursued across the Dungeness shingle by paparazzi in a frenzy of shutter clicking. Derek Jarman filming with Nizo Super 8mm camera far left in blue overalls. Roger Cook as Christ figure and Philip MacDonald. Instagram: @d.brown_esq

Field studies

The inner world of the studio cannot exist without its outer surroundings. On expeditions, we roam the near and distant environment in search of experiences, impressions, events, information and confusion. Wikipedia defines a field study as “a systematic scientific observation under natural conditions outside the laboratory”. Some may retreat like hermits into the quiet security of the studio for a long time, others need the permanent exchange between the uncertain outside of the world and the known inside of the studio in order to make progress. Some creatives do without the studio as far as possible and consider the world itself as a place of artistic production to be completely sufficient. As the performance artist Marina Abramović says: “Art comes from life, not from the studio.” For most it is probably the middle ground between these two positions. Perhaps it is the familiarity and security that our own studio gives us, allowing us to incorporate the real world into our thoughts and experiments unfiltered and without fear. Perhaps creative people can only dare to tackle the uncertainty of the world if they can be totally sure of their own place.

Doing nothing

In addition to the many important functions of the studio and its practice, there is one that should not be forgotten under any circumstances: doing nothing. A studio allows the artist to see himself as an intrinsic part of the work even when nothing is currently being created. “I have no philosophy, my favorite thing is sitting in the studio,” the Danish designer and architect Arne Jacobsen once said. Today, when we visit the preserved or partially restored studios of Paul Cezanne in Aix-enProvence, Alberto Giacometti in Paris, Joan Miró in Mallorca, Barbara Hepworth in St. Ives, Yves Saint Laurent in Paris (see picture on page 10), Derek Jarman in Dungeness (see picture on the left) or Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner in East Hampton, the spaces give us an insight behind the scenes. Was he or she orderly or chaotic, what colors, materials and tools got used, what was the light like, what traces on the floor and the walls did the paint leave behind? But when we stand in these abandoned studios of a practice that has come to an end, the absence of the artist and his art becomes even more painfully clear. Even if the atmosphere in these places might easily suggest that the artist could return to his workplace at any moment from his lunch break, at least at these places, this will not happen.

I Want to Soften the Viewer’s Heart

Interview: Iuliia Krasnoperova

Photos: Lisa Smirnova

Lisa Smirnova is a textile artist from Moscow who has found a new home in Cascais, Portugal after the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. She has been working with textiles for many years and keeps experimenting with textures and shapes. We spoke to her about her current studio and how she manages to convey her ideas, dreams, and messages through her art.

Photo: Maria Pavlovskaya

Do you have a daily routine?

My workday begins with a short workout or run, followed by breakfast and a stroll with the dog. Then, I work on current tasks, usually involving a creative or organizational process. Evenings are typically spent with family. Before bedtime, I read a book, jot down ideas that came up during the day, or watch reels with funny animals.

Can you tell us about your workspace/studio?

Currently, my studio is one of the rooms in our house. It’s arranged very simply: a few large tables, chairs, and open shelves for storing materials.

Please tell us, what would your dream studio look like?

I see the home studio setup as temporary. I hope to find a new space for a studio next year. My dream studio would be in a nice area, with a beautiful and bright space and high ceilings. There

would be plenty of room for large-format paintings, material storage, a quiet and secluded atmosphere, yet with occasional visits for collaborative projects. On weekends, I’d organize workshops and film screenings there.

Did emigration change your studio practice and approach to the creative process?

Upon leaving, I abandoned my old studio, gave away materials, and left behind old paintings and drawings. It took time to adapt to the new environment and explore the materials available in Portugal. For example, I couldn’t find thin wool threads of the same texture I used for embroidery before, inspiring me to learn punch needle embroidery, a technique adaptable to various threads, including knitting yarn, abundant and diverse in Portugal. This limitation brought diversity into my projects, and I’m grateful for that.

Interview: Jade Eder

Photos: Annalena Nerea Abramczik

Creating Beyond the Skyline

In the heart of Kreuzberg, where the vibrant streets of Berlin pulse with creativity, lies a hidden sanctuary above the bustling cityscape allowing these artists to explore the depths of their imagination undisturbed. We visited the two very different artists with their very diverse works and processes sharing one studio to gain a deeper insight into the captivating world within the studio and the nature of work by two very different kinds of artists.

Lisa Tiemann

In Lisa’s ongoing sculptural series of Couples, she collects a series of unintentional forms through sketches, which she then selects and translates into solid shapes. They are then meticulously juxtaposed, one against the other, seeking their fit into harmonic two-folded bodies, bringing a sensorial material dialog into play.

What do you enjoy most when somebody is visiting your studio? It is always a great opportunity to clean up the space.

Are you happy with your current studio situation? What would your dream studio look like?

Yes, I am satisfied, and if it could overcome the insurmountable contradiction of having the same view over Kreuzberg rooftops but be situated at ground level at the same time, it would be my dream sculpture studio. When we first moved in, I shared half of the space with Max. That was quite close. Now we built a wall in the middle with a curtain dividing our workplaces. This way we can still talk but not see each other at the same time. This feels more like a phone call and gives it a healthy distance.

How does your workspace correlate to your workflow?

As it is situated so high above everything, it isolates me from the world outside. The state of being alone is a quality I really need to achieve focus.

How does sharing a space with someone with a different studio practice influence your work?

My observation is that artists are generally quite egocentric. We always consider art from the perspective of what we can draw from it for our own work. So if you were to ask Max and me how our works influence each other, he would probably say not at all. But subconsciously, there is always interaction. It’s fortunate that our art is formally so different. There is the opportunity to en-

gage in general artistic questions, without the possibility of expressing them in the same way.

What would you say is the mission behind your work?

I enjoy that my art is described as "refreshingly ambiguous," as Luise Pilz mentioned in a text about my work. I resist having a single clear message or interpretation. I assume that the themes I explore, such as appearance and reality, dynamics that come into play when two beings interact, individualism and symbiosis, the absurd and the elegant, automatically resonate in my works.

You have such a wonderful way with materials, despite their stagnant character, they seem so fluid & light. How do you create this visual effect? Making these weightless forms function in real space often requires me to construct complicated scaffolding systems in order to support the clay while it is not fired yet and still soft. The spontaneous and fluid shapes I find when I am sketching. The forms develop quite casually through quick doodles. Then, I sift out the interesting ones and refine them progressively until a precise drawing is formed. The most important aspect for me is a tactically appealing surface. In ceramics, for example, the glaze has a rather fluid appearance, gleaming and blending within itself. On the other hand, papier-mâché is rather soft, matte, and somewhat brittle.

Interview: Laura Höpke

Photos: Josephine Rais

Grit Your Teeth and Get To It!

Nestled in Berlin’s creative landscape lies the studio of the talented digital illustrator Josephine Rais. Her vibrant works depict powerful scenes from everyday life, featuring diverse protagonists in unconventional poses. Josephine’s art is a testament to modernity, representation, and a deliberate emphasis on various forms of femininity and identity. Motivated by the ability of her art to engage in discourse, her overarching objective is to immerse viewers in a world of tolerance, diversity, and equality.

How did you start developing your practice?

As a child, I discovered my passion for drawing and painting, which developed during my school years and studies. At this time, I also transitioned from analogue to digital media, shaping the evolution of my artistic style. Completing my Bachelor's in Product Design marked the end of my foundational studies, but my professional focus shifted towards visual design, particularly illustration. In my Masters in Strategic Design, I recognized this direction better reflected my strengths and interests.

In the last year of my studies, I dedicated intensive efforts to develop my portfolio and ventured into self-employment immediately after graduation. I was fortunate to have a small network

of creative support in Berlin which made the decision easier. Through targeted networking, both on social media and within Berlin's creative scene, I gradually established my client base.

What is important to you in your art?

In my artworks, it is particularly important to me to process emotions and tell a story. Through my creations, I strive to evoke emotions in the viewer. The processing of feelings allows for an authentic and personal form of expression, while storytelling adds a narrative dimension to my art. Ultimately, my goal is for my art to elicit an emotional resonance with the audience and create a connection on an individual level.

Do you have a favorite tool or medium that you consistently use in your creations?

I prefer working with my iPad and Procreate, although in recent months, I've increasingly turned to pen and paper. In addition to digital work, I also engage in rug tufting and enjoy painting with acrylic colors.

Who provides you with feedback, and who do you discuss your work with?

Usually, I receive feedback on my work from my surroundings and my agency. I consider myself fortunate to have numerous creative minds in my circle of friends who support me in my projects and share their feedback.

Are there any specific rituals or routines you follow during your creative process?

My work process is generally very intuitive and somewhat chaotic. Nonetheless, I have set core working hours to streamline collaboration with my agency efficiently.

A typical workday begins with coffee (or matcha). Upon arriving at the studio, I check emails and plan my day. I enjoy interspersing analogue tasks like rug tufting or painting, taking breaks on the wonderful balcony overlooking a meadow with sheep next door. Balancing work and breaks is challenging as I tend to lose track of time in my creative flow.

My studio, resembling a small museum, is filled with my works and pieces from inspiring artists. Creating a vibrant, cheerful, warm, and inviting environment was crucial when setting up my workspace. Recently, I've started collecting small figures, objects, decorations, and literature that interest and inspire me, creating a comforting atmosphere around my desk during my daily work routine.

Once I’m in my creative flow — I tend to lose track of time.

Sometimes I Leave Things Unfinished ...

Interview: Annalena Nerea Abramczik & Jade Eder

Photos: Annalena Nerea Abramczik

Berlin-based artist Anna Nezhnaya explores identity in the post-Internet age and the slippery divide between reality and virtual reality through paintings, light objects, and drawings. Her work oscillates between objectivity and abstraction, both in manual and digital forms. Space, in a non-didactic sense, is her main area of interest.

Is your studio silent when you are working or is your process accompanied by sound?

Always. Mostly Soundcloud mixes from DJs I like from the Berlin techno scene. It allows me to have a little rave in my studio.

At the end of your process, when a piece is close to being done, who are the people you let in to provide feedback and discuss your work with?

I have an amazing friend, Andreas Golder. He is an incredible painter and artist, and I value his feedback a lot. I also have a good relationship with my parents; they have been following my journey since I was a little girl, so it is meaningful to me to have their feedback.

How do you handle creative blocks or challenges in your work?

Totally escape work to dance or relax, or rather dance and then relax. Raving completely resets my brain; it is very meditative. With the war started by Russia in Ukraine, and now the war in Israel too, it has been very overwhelming to me, so this has helped me a lot.

Do you have a favorite tool or medium that you consistently use in your creations?

I like to work with lacquer when I paint. Otherwise, I use iPhone notes, a general mix of digital and analogue mediums.

What is something you are currently working on that you are excited about?

I am working on bigger scale paintings, shiny and big.

What is something you just cannot create without? Music.

What inspired you to work with light, and how did you choose the materials you work with today?

I have always loved neon as a material, even throughout my studies. Subconsciously, I always come back to it.

The irregular lines take on this interesting form that opposes the industrial and perfect shapes that are usually created with neons

Topya

Collective Dreaming

Interview: Eva Wilimzig & Iuliia Krasnoperova

Photos: Eva Wilimzig & Topya

Topya is a collective founded in 2022 by Katharina Brackemann, Mia Mahn, and Lisa Wessler, students in the Design Department at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. It is an experiment dedicated to designing an intersectional-feminist future through collective dreaming and riso zines. Their regular events and workshops focus on bringing people together to collaboratively dream of a better world.

*German: down to the left

Can you describe your workflow and workspace?

Mia: We conduct a lot of workshops and talks at Unten Links*, our atelier in Werder. We have plenty of space there and even a small garden. We held our summer events outside, which was really nice. That’s where we work most of the time. But since we print our zines mainly with the risograph, we often use the graphic lab at our university.

Kata: The founding of the collective and atelier Unten Links* and Topya actually happened closely together. I found a lot of joy in opening the atelier to other people and sharing time, space, and resources. That’s when the atelier first truly made sense for me.

Lisa: We don’t use the atelier only in one specific way. It’s a lot of fun experimenting with the space.

What is your favorite way to work — together or alone?

Mia: Together!

Lisa: Our collaboration works very naturally. That’s why it’s a lot of fun and there is a great amount of trust, allowing a fluid transition. For example: I finished my Master’s in Architecture last semester, and Mia and Kata filled in for me a lot, no questions asked. That’s what I love: that we can rely on each other so much. What is collective work and what individual work can never be separated completely, I think.

Kata: Maybe it’s more efficient to split tasks when trying to reach a specific goal. But for us, it is more important to enjoy the process which we do most when we’re working together.

Do you have any rituals or routines you follow in your creative process?

Kata: We start our meetings by catching up, talking, eating, and drinking. We make ourselves comfortable, put some music on, and set a nice vibe. Only then we really start brainstorming.

Mia: We blurt out every idea that comes to mind no matter how utopian and absurd. That’s how we get to our more concrete ideas in the first place because we dare to say whatever is on our minds.

I take it that you give each other a lot of feedback and exchange. Do you also get feedback, advice, or help from other sides?

Lisa: First, there is always direct feedback at the events and workshops. We notice a lot of things there, how the atmosphere develops, what works well, what doesn’t. For a while, we did Google questionnaires after each workshop to get a feel for how everyone felt during the workshop and what expectations weren’t met yet.

Mia: Our professor Sven Völker supported Topya from the start and gave us valuable feedback. Apart from that, it mostly comes from our friends and the people around us.

Kata: Thankfully, Jannik and the others from Unten Links always have our backs and lend a helping hand!

Left page: Topya working at one of their live-workshops

You all seem to be quite good at dreaming. Can you tell us, what your dream studio looks like?

Mia: We are extremely lucky to have Unten Links as our space where we can create freely. Unfortunately, a lot of people think it’s very far away. Our dream studio would be more central. And it would definitely have more sunlight.

Kata: Yes, and we’d have our own risograph. Plus, because eating and drinking is always part of our process, a dishwasher would be great!

You gave a one-week workshop at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam recently and created a manifesto. How did that go?

Kata: We were the same group for a whole week which led to people opening up and getting close to one another, which was really beautiful to experience. We noticed that there is a real need in our studies for something like Topya. A classroom where we can dream, embrace “messy design,” and feel excitement which is generated through collective effort. The book “Teaching to Transgress” by Bell Hooks was a huge inspiration.

Mia: Somehow we always learn so much about white cis male designers. We definitely see a need to break that up!

Lisa: ... To steer away from the idea of one lonely genius and offer alternatives. Most work happens in a team but that fact gets glossed over. It’s really important to us to think about how to work well together as a team. How we can create things together.

DREAMING OF DIFFERENT UTOPIAN FUTURES

IS A FORM OF EMPOWERMENT, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT FEEL SEEN IN THE WORLD AS IT IS NOW.

Left page: Topya’s riso-printed zines

Right page: The production process is an integral part of the creative work. Shirts are being produced in the silk-screen workshop.

The Fila Graphic Lab is a collaboration between the Italian tennis brand Fila and Some Magazine. Design students at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam develop experimental graphic strategies to lead the brand into an exciting visual future.

David Lamb

Benjamin Ressi

Some Magazine

A Magazine for Visual Inventors

Issue #18: Studio Practice Summer 24

University of Applied Sciences Potsdam

Prof. Sven Völker (V.i.s.d.P) Kiepenheuerallee 5 14469 Potsdam, Germany welcome@somemag.com somemag.com @somemag_fhp

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ISBN 978-3-948440-72-5 1st edition 2024

Editor-in-chief: Sven Völker

Editorial Team and Art Direction: Iuliia Krasnoperova, Laura Höpke, Eva Wilimzig, Jade Cassidy Eder, Annalena Nerea Abramczik

Cover Illustration: Topya

Publishing Direction: Lars Harmsen, Julia Kahl

Production Management: Julia Kahl

About Some Magazine

Since 2010, changing editorial teams of graphic design students research, write, layout, and produce the bi-annual Some Magazine. It is a part of the Experimental Design course of Prof. Sven Völker at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam.

About Slanted Publishers:

Slanted Publishers is an internationally active design, publishing and media house founded in 2014 by Lars Harmsen and Julia Kahl. They publish the award-winning print magazine Slanted, covering international developments in design and culture twice a year. Since its establishment in 2004, the daily Slanted blog highlights events and news from an international design scene and showcases inspiring portfolios from all over the world. In addition, Slanted Publishers initiates and creates publications, focusing on contemporary design and culture, working closely with editors and authors to produce outstanding publications with meaningful content and high quality. Slanted was born from great passion and has made a name for itself across the globe. Its design is vibrant and inspiring its philosophy open-minded, tolerant, and curious.

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Alexandra Palidovets, Instagram: @89gradusov