‘Guerrilla studio’ evolved out of my desire to explore new territory as an artist. The temporary “studio” I created became a space where the private art-making process was subject to the public eye, whilst my work was shaped by the unpredictability of the dynamic environment.
The projects aim was to disrupt the routines of contemporary city life by inviting interactions that were direct, reflective, and intimate. I began with 100 blank canvases on a wall at Vida e Caffe in Greenpoint. Over a period of one month, the blank canvases were replaced with life studies of various people who passed through the space.
Sitters witnessed their portrait rendered in real time. The quality of the time took to produce each portrait was defined by two people meeting face to face, in contrast to the measured and rapid pace of the technological age. These encounters were as much a part of my work as the finished product.
Guerrilla Studio was my attempt to create a space where people felt free to play; whilst exposing my personal art-making process, the work also invited people to engage in creating it, breaking down the boundaries between artist, subject and viewer. Visitors could contribute to a collective journal and choose the placement of their portrait within the evolving composition. The final piece was a reflection of the community of people who passed through Vida e Caffe during the time I spent there.
