Last October I participated in an Open Studio weekend in my new neighborhood Fort Point. Cambridgeport does similar events but our apartment there was not really suitable to showcase my artwork at the right scale. The detail-rich prints from large-format film and large digital sensors need to be displayed in a format that allows the viewer to discover the stories within a print at a macro and micro level. Currently I am living in a friend’s studio loft with large open space and high ceiling. A perfect setting for showcasing artwork. Still, the wall space was somehow limited. I puzzled for a while to come up with a solution on how to hang aproximately eight large prints. I noticed a water pipe that runs down almost in the middle of the apartment. While structurally solid, hanging heavy boards from the sprinkler system may have raised some concerns. Almost parallel to the pipe are a set of hooks that are attached to the ceiling beams. I looked them up in the building’s user manual and found out that each one could hold more than 1 ton of weight. Plenty. To create a continues attachment point I ordered steel pipes and connectors, which perfectly fit the hooks’ openings. This allowed me to build a 32′ continues rail right through the center of the apartment. It divided the space into a “living space’ and a dedicated display space for the open studio. I had some smaller prints on display on the outside of the apartment. The boards on the inside were not directly visible from the door. I faced them towards the windows for two reasons. First; lighting. I wanted the images to be illuminated by daylight. Second; I wanted bring viewers into the space. They could see that something was hanging but had to make their way into the space to discover it. Not sure if people experienced it that way but that was the intention. Overall it was amazing to see friends and strangers together. Some had comments, some wanted to know more the imagery and the stories of the creation, some walked out quietly, some wanted to buy, and many drank free wine. How great is that. I am looking forward to the next event. I am currently focusing on my triangular, architectural shots in black&white and have started doing first test prints, which are around eight feet wide. My goal is to shoot more in Germany and Spain over the holidays.
Here is a link to a quick, very quick run trough my open studio setting. I wish I could have used a steady-cam, but…… D!RK
