A studio visit with Jesse Hlebo
photographs by Francesco Nazardo
Where is your studio exactly and how long have you been working there?
I work above a gym in Brooklyn. I’ve been there for a little over three and a half years now.
What are the pros and cons of your studio ?
It’s quite close to my house which is great. The two dudes who run the space—Jamisen Ogg and Jeff DeGolier—are really great people and artists. The windows are really big and the lighting is beautiful. It’s well priced. The floor is really nice. I could do for a bit more room but I’m not in the financial state to upgrade right now. Sometimes the landlord forgets to put oil in the boiler during the cold months and the heat won’t turn on so it’ll get pretty fucking cold. Worst part is probably the summer’s, though. There’s no A/C and the sun comes directly through the window so it gets HOT. Hard to deal with.
How many hours do you usually spend there per week?
Probably about 60–80 hours a week.
Do you have your own daily routine within the studio? For exemple, do you usually start by answering your emails then get to work etc?
Yeah, I take my keys and wallet and phone out of my pockets and put them where they go on my desk. Turn on my computer and fill up my cup with water from the sink. Sit down and write out a list of things I need to get done that day on my notepad. Check emails / social media. Return emails as much as I can without infringing on pressing deadlines. Sometimes I can spend a whole day sending emails so I end up having to delay replying to them so that I can finish other stuff. At some point I end up going to my PO box to pick up mail/send out Swill Children orders. I eat lunch at this Dominican spot a block from my studio or I get a slice and some garlic knots at my friends’ new pizza joint called Norberts.
Are there things you deliberately forbid yourself to do/have within the studio in order to be more productive?
I don’t typically write, watch movies or read books in there, I try and reserve that for home. Likewise, I try and not work on things at home so as to relegate my workflow primarily to the studio.
Do you sometimes wish you shared your studio with one or a few other artists?
I share the studio with my friend Justin Sloane. It works really well because we collaborate on large number of projects together like _ Quarterly, Paperweight, Swill Children, Reply, and various other one offs / freelance jobs.
What is your favorite track to edit photos to?
Been listening to this D’Angelo song a lot I Found My Smile Again.
or Ciara’s Body Party
and Missy Elliott Work It (DJ Sliink remix)
for more of Jesse’s work, please visit www.jessehlebo.com
A studio visit with Charlie Engman
photographs by Adam Kremer
Where is your studio exactly and how long have you been working there?
My studio is also currently my apartment in Brooklyn. I’ve been here for about 5 months.
What are the pros and cons of your studio?
It’s my apartment and it’s my apartment, just like Asger said. I am easily distracted by tangents, which is both a huge factor in the development of my work and also, at times, a huge disaster. Living in my work at least means the tangent is occassionally my work. I used to have a separate studio and just getting there could be a problem, because I would get overly inquisitive about some abstract pattern in my morning cereal and the tangents would start then and there in my PJs. This way everything is always at hand. But the reality is that my apartment overfloweth, so I’m hoping to become a commuter again soon.
How many hours do you usually spend there per week ?
When I’m not shooting on location, I’m there.
Do you have your own daily routine within the studio? For example, do you usually start by answering your emails then get to work?
A routine is a dream. Like I said, my work is really guided by the flow of the day (read: attention deficit disorder), but this can be a problem when commissioned work is at hand, so in those situations I make myself ordered lists and do my best to follow. Crossing things off a list is orgasmic.
Are there things you deliberately forbid yourself to do/have within the studio in order to be more productive?
I have to admit, I’m pretty soft on myself, because my procrastination often yields the best research and ideas — it’s a Catch 22 story. Productivity has never been a problem, the problem is focus. For that, I can only try to guilt myself out of mining the internet or my tchotchke archive when I’m supposed to be sending emails.
Do you sometimes wish you shared your studio with one or a few other artists?
I like the idea of company and of collaboration, but really, I’m a soloist and I sometimes need to dance like no one’s watching.
What is your favorite track to edit photos to?
for more of Charlie’s work, please visit http://charlieengman.com/
A studio visit with Daniel Shea
photographs by Johnny de Guzman
Where is your studio exactly and how long have you been working there ?
I’m currently finishing an MFA at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where I have a studio in the West Loop of Chicago. It’s the best studio I’ve ever had, so I’m sad to be leaving it this May.
What are the pros and cons of your studio ?
Pros - it’s big and has an amazing view of the city. It’s centrally located so it’s easy to get people to stop by for studio visits. It’s a raw space, so I can be messy if I need to be. Con’s - it has an amazing view and I sit and stare out the window a lot.
How many hours do you usually spend there per week ?
Depending on the week, 50-80 hours.
Do you have your own daily routine within the studio ? For exemple, do you usually start by answering your emails then get to work etc ?
I block out time for different tasks. One day might be a research day or a writing day. One day I might work on files and make prints. Another day I might play with materials. And of course I also “work” from my studio, i.e., deal with client files, shoot logistics, business organizing, invoicing, etc. But I try to keep my art practice and business mentally separated. It’s all the same physical space though.
Are there things you deliberately forbid yourself to do/have within the studio in order to be more productive ?
I try and not waste time on the internet. I have a standing desk. I never sleep in my studio. If I’m there all night, I’m working, and when it’s time to sleep, I go home. I have some simple award systems in place for being particularly productive, like going for a walk in the neighborhood, having a cup of tea, or going to the sauna on campus. That being said, sometimes I just lay on the floor and feel bad and don’t do anything.
Do you sometimes wish you shared your studio with one or a few other artists ?
Absolutely not.
What is your favorite track to edit photos to ?
Either this:
or this:
for more of Daniel’s work, please visit http://danielpshea.com/
A studio visit with Asger Carlsen
photographs by David Brandon Geeting
Where is your studio?
It’s on the Western part of Hester Street in Chinatown, Manhattan.
What are the pros and cons of your studio ?
The pros are that my studio is in my apartment. The cons are that my studio is in my apartment. There is always the chance that you will end up doing photoshop wearing only underwear.
How many hours do you usually spend there per week ?
Since I also live here it becomes pretty organic. But if I have to work, I work. There was one time I worked for 7 months without seeing anyone at all.
Do you have your own daily routine within the studio ?
I make coffee and then go straight into emails. I really don’t like emails and I am constantly trying to tell people how I feel about emails. I would be fine if my job was just writing emails, but it has this other element of concentration and precision in Adobe Photoshop.
Are there things you deliberately forbid yourself to do/have within the studio in order to be more productive ?
Mid-day meetings are the worst. Like, “let’s meet 2.30 PM”. That definitely means no real work done that day.
Do you sometimes wish you shared your studio with one or a few other artists ?
I’ve been sharing studio with others many times. It’s good because it makes you want to appear less of a slacker but you need to find someone who likes the same music as you. That’s about it.
What is your favorite track to edit photos to ?
for more of Asger’s work, please visit www.asgercarlsen.com
