In this series, RISD Museum curator Dominic Molon considers the importance and setting of the studio, and calls on Rhode Island artists.
Since Providence and the greater Rhode Island area became my third professional “home base” after I arrived here from St. Louis in September 2013, I have actively tried to develop a thorough understanding of the work being made by artists in the community. The artists’ studios in Rhode Island unsurprisingly possess some similarities but also and more frequently significant differences from the spaces that characterized the art-making in Chicago and St. Louis. Perhaps the most striking distinction has been the manner in which studios here often feel more related to or integrated with their outdoor environs (or in some cases, set within unbelievably idyllic natural settings). My visits here have so far been characterized by much-appreciated insights into Rhode Island art history and culture—from Paula Martiesian’s introducing me to the art of past figures such as Florence Lief and Gordon Peers, to Ruth Dealy extolling the virtues of a trip to the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru.
The photographs that follow provide an ongoing record of the studios that I have visited. One universal truth of the studio visit is that it is an incredible privilege to be given access an artist’s working space, and I wish to express my gratitude to the artists who have graciously welcomed me as part of this process and allowed us to share images of their studios with the RISD Museum audience.
The Studio Visited and Re-visited is an ongoing series that will be periodically updated with further images of Rhode Island artists’ studios.
Paula Martiesian
Providence
December 6, 2013
Ruth Dealy
Providence, RI
January 17, 2014
Coral Bouŕgeois
Pawtucket, RI
May 20, 2014
Cesare DeCredio
Providence, RI
July 8, 2014
