Iowa Grad Studio Visit

Posted by Jason Urban on April 21, 2015 | Comments Off

Behind these unassuming, semi-permanent office-style walls lies the University of Iowa graduate printmaking studios.

Those of you who remember Iowa’s pre-flood days may fondly recall a ramshackle, shantytown-like world of desks, makeshift walls, and a perpetual lack of personal space. Built in an era where printmakers only needed a desk and press, the old studios were less than ideal for artists contemplating installation, performance, and/or ambitious large-scale work. While the new studios have managed to maintain a a bit of the ramshackle charm (it is grad school after all), by comparison, the spaces seem large and almost private. With three walls each, the individual studios are communal enough to allow for a regular and informal exchange of ideas but isolated enough that students have room to explore and collect. Hopefully, the new building will incorporate this improved arrangement.

Following are some pictures of the shared space and then images of individual grad students’ work. It’s just a small sample of what I saw during my whirlwind tour.

Everything that follows are images from various individual grad student’s spaces. I did a ton of studio visits and only remembered to take pictures during some of them. Rather than go on and on about the work, which was in various stages of completion, I’m just going to give you the artist’s name. Huge thanks to everyone who shared their work with me!

Sarita Zaleha