21 december 2022, Oscar van Gelderen
The studio of... Marilou van Lierop
What does the ideal studio look like? How much time does an artist spend in his studio? Is it a sacred place? This week in The Artist’s Studio Marilou van Lierop, whose solo exhibition The Unbearable Lightness of Being is currently on display at Frank Taal Galerie in Rotterdam.
Do you go to your studio every day?
My studio is at home. And yes, I work in my studio every day. I have to go through the studio to go to certain parts of the house. The studio is located in the centre of the house, which means that there is always passage. I've gotten used to that. The children used to play somewhere in the corner of an eye.
At times this can be difficult too. The studio – and the struggle to make the work – is therefore always in the head. To get the necessary distance from it, I actually need to go outside. I take a lot of long walks. In my city, Antwerp, or in nature.
What time do you leave for your studio, and how: on foot, by bicycle, public transport or car?
The studio is at home. So, there’s no commute, however, I am very fond of rituals and customs. In fact, I have fixed hours, without any reason for it. I paint what is the best part of the day for me. There is a limit on the number of hours I can paint in a row. If I paint in the late hours, it is usually wasted effort. Those hours are filled with the many work around it.
Do you keep to certain rituals in your studio? Music or silence?
I like listening to podcasts, for example “De kunst van het verdwijnen’, which is about events – historical and recent – in the Jewish quarter where I live. Furthermore, all episodes of 'Interne keuken', which unfortunately had to stop as a radio show. “Invisibilia: een vriendelijk spookverhaal” is also on my list. Oddly, music can distract me a lot, I've found. So I prefer silence. I like to work on several things at the same time. I also often take a break from a work. Then I move on to another work, so that after a short period of time I can look at that work in a fresher way. That helps to make decisions.
How important is light to you?
Light is very important. Actually, there is not sufficient light in my studio. It is on the ground floor. There are large windows, but that is not enough. So I have to enlighten a lot. Otherwise, you may be faced with unpleasant surprises afterwards. The natural light in my studio falls short, especially on darker days.
What does your work process look like? Do you work everywhere and all the time or does work only commence the moment you enter your studio?
For me, work always continues. Especially when something is not going to plan, it is very difficult to distance myself in my head. That's quite a load. Sometimes you feel like you have to be careful. I am a very bad sleeper, and that certainly has something to do with it. Hence the walks. They are really necessary.
How much time do you spend on average per day in your studio?
I can only paint four consecutive hours a day. If there's a deadline coming up, it could be more. Then a few hours are added every day with all other, often preparatory matters. I also like to read. Often about biology, neurology and sociology. I also count that as work in the studio.
Is your studio a sacred place?
Certainly not. I think I'm very portable and could work anywhere. But, I certainly can’t relax there. Reading and contemplating things don't happen there.
Conversely, converting the mind’s chaos into a more structured chaos on the canvas does happen there.
Do you receive visitors there; collectors, curators or fellow artists?
Sure. It is nice to have people over, which is also very different from showing your work in an exhibition. The work tends to be less finished, you rather show the process.
What is the most beautiful studio you have ever seen?
The studio of Peter Buggenhout has certainly stayed with me. Grand and impressive. I also find the opposite fascinating, however, when there are really only a computer and books to be found. Where everything is more cerebral, as with Marc De Blieck.
What does the ideal studio look like?
I hesitate between a remote cave and a large hangar..
