A View From the Easel
“Sometimes it's infinite folding and binding, and I just spend the day or weekend doing that.”
Welcome to the 354th installment of A View From the Easel, a series in which artists reflect on their workspace. This week, printmaker and photographer Oswaldo García — whom I had the privilege of meeting at Pioneer Works's Press Play fair in 2024 — dances to cumbias while accordion-folding, book-binding, and watching the magical process of a printer churning out risographs.
Want to take part? Check out our submission guidelines and share a bit about your studio with us through this form! All mediums and workspaces are welcome, including your home studio.
Oswaldo García, Columbia, Missouri
How long have you been working in this space?
I moved from México and started an MFA two years ago at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I have been working in the Grad Studios building since then. I also work in the photolab studio and The Riso Room or Public House, depending if developing or printing.
Describe an average day in your studio.
I usually start working in the evening or at night sometimes (if going to book fairs). I'm teaching in the morning and taking classes. I work on everything at the same time — I collect, draft, research, make proofs, start thinking about new projects, print, fold, bind, and when I get tired of a project it helps me to move for some time to another. Then I go back and finish, but also sometimes it's infinite folding and binding, and I just spend the day or weekend doing that while listening to music. I dance and sing a lot while printing, especially cumbias, reggaetón, Mexican regional music, but a lot of pop, dance, everything. But if I'm drafting or thinking about a new project, I like the silence of my headphones.
How does the space affect your work?
I like the natural light, but I recently moved from my first studio to another one in the same building that has less of it, but I also like that for scanning and editing. This new studio has more space and that is helping me to expand the projects and let them breathe, to look at them differently and try arrangements and new compositions while working on many projects at the same time.
How do you interact with the environment outside your studio?
The building is all art studios and that motivates me to work. It's also nice to look at the process of others. I'm very inspired by people working in ceramics and fibers right now, and that has gotten me into trying those practices recently.
What do you love about your studio?
I love that it's like a blank canvas or paper that I can use to play and try assembling books, prints, projections, installations. And it is my safe space too, where I can always go and just be there with the work, materials, archive, books.
What do you wish were different?
I would love to have taller walls. I think I would go crazy doing bigger things! But I like how it is.
