Emily Ludwig Shaffer is an artist currently working in Bushwick, Brooklyn. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with a BFA in Painting in 2010.
Where is your studio located and how long have you been in your studio?
Bushwick; 1.5 years
Where are you originally from and where do you live now?
I lived a nomadic childhood and a part of me comes from each of those places (California, Ohio, Nebraska, & Kentucky); NEW YAWK (Brooklyn specifically)
What’re you working on now?
I have a lot of different projects going in studio and out. I’ve gotten really into a couple different series on 20 x 16 inch canvases. One is my chameleon series, the other is the high-five series. Both of these series have their own unique conceptual parameters, but both I have approached as little homages to artists I admire, and/or indulgences to the act of painting. I’m also hoping to start a “men of my life” series soon once that damn stretcher bar and linen order comes in! As for works on paper, I also have some different sub-categories going–many of which are text-based. One of these is an ongoing projected called Work At Work where I use the materials found at my odd day-jobs to make art…sort of a look at how “artist” as profession doesn’t ever really exist in the pure form. This being partly due to the complex market and commodity issues inherent to art, but also because even successful artists are by nature prone to engage in other endeavors outside of their studio practice. A clever but caddy friend of mine once said “If you ever hear someone describe their career with a slash in it, you know they’re really neither.” I’ve had a lot of different titles since graduating school, all of which have one or more slashes (currently: artist/artist’s assistant/waitress) and as distracting as these jobs sometimes feel, they all feed my art making practice (financially, conceptually, etc.).
Can you give us some insight into your process?
Many different projects going at once! That’s something I struggled with in school… I always wanted to have some big thing going but I’ve realized this past year that stuff like that so easily sucks the energy out of your studio practice. Even when you’re not working on it and trying to focus on smaller stuff, it’s the elephant in the room. Being a young artist I think it’s important to set up a mode of production that allows you to explore as many ideas that interest you as possible and not get caught up in developing a coherent aesthetic–that will come naturally.
What mediums do you use?
Mostly oil paint, charcoal, ink, ball point pen, and whichever ground is used for the piece.
How often are you in your studio and what’s a typical studio day like?
20-40hrs depending on the week. Just depends on what I have going in studio, but there’s usually a Kombucha break at some point. Also, if my studio mates (Rachel Labine and Christin Neal) are there, there’s almost always a fair amount of conversation.
You mentioned you have studio mates. Do you enjoy having them around? Are there any pros or cons?
YES. My studio mates are good friends so there’s no awkwardness/forced conversation. We lead such busy lives that I sometimes don’t see them for a while and then we’ll cross paths in studio and talk our mouths dry. This is usually a good thing because they’re both smart and interesting people, but we can definitely be distracting for each other from time to time.
You can find more of Emily Ludwig Shaffer’s work at .
