Artist-Teacher in the Postmodern Era

Introduction

In the twenty-first century, it has become rare for an artist to make work in one single location. The academic notion of the artist retreating to their loft to conjure a masterpiece is an outdated and romantic ideal that is hampered by both economics of the art world and postmodern practices. It was the conceptual artists in the 1960s, who were the leaders of this movement, that originally saw the studio as a type of bondage that limited their creativity – and they sought locations to make art that is specifically aided in developing their ideas. An example might be the physical restrictions of a doorframe or the height of a ceiling and how something so simple can limit the size of art produced in a particular studio. However, this bondage may also refer to the traditional materials of art making as well that limit how and where they can be used – think heavy machinery or light sensitive prints. Given this change in how art is made and its ever-expanding materials, it’s...