Hilary Lorenz Transforms Paper Into Art In New Mexico Studio

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Printmaker and self-described“mountain ultrarunner” Hilary Lorenz creates paper boats, books, and weavings in her self-built studio in Medanales, New Mexico. Her workspace, constructed from local materials, is featured in the 352nd installment of“A View From the Easel,” a series highlighting artists' reflections on their studios.

Lorenz has been working in her studio, located about 100 meters from her house, since 2013. She purchased a small house in rural New Mexico in 2010 and began building the studio the following summer. While she maintained a residence in New York City, spending three months annually in Abiquiu, she permanently moved to Medanales in 2022. Her studio was built with assistance from two neighbors, using stones gathered from a mountain, mud, local timber, and windows sourced from Habitat for Humanity Restore.

The studio operates without electricity or Wi-Fi, which Lorenz states helps her focus. Her typical workday begins after a 7:00 a.m. dog walk and an hour-long run. She primarily dedicates studio time to physical art production, often working on one or two pieces at a time using paper as her main material. Administrative tasks are reserved for midday, or for her house during summer afternoons when studio temperatures can reach the high 90s. She often returns to the studio for an additional one to two hours after it cools off.

Lorenz values the comfort and security her self-built studio provides. From her 10-foot table, she enjoys mountain views through open glass doors. An attached corral offers space for her dogs, who also have an acre to roam. She frequently uses the outdoors for large, messy projects, such as her linocut-printed paper canoe or her“Shipwrecked” installation. The rural environment, however, also presents isolation, which she finds challenging.“I am not fond of isolation,” Lorenz noted, adding,“I am happy to be alone and work alone, but then I want to be able to walk out my door and see people, to meet friends, to go to openings, to dinner, without having to drive over 60 miles.” She expresses a wish for her studio to be closer to an urban environment.

Lorenz is proud of building her studio, including hauling five massive truckloads of rocks for the walls. She appreciates the independence of owning her space and not paying rent, as well as the constant problem-solving inherent in rural living. She also highlights the studio's strength, security, and minimal maintenance due to its mud and stone construction. Paper is her favorite art material, which she prints, marbles using suminagashi technique, cuts, and weaves into boats and books. Her primary art collection also consists of works on paper.

Despite the long drives required, Lorenz enjoys visiting several New Mexico museums, including Site Santa Fe, nearly 70 miles away, and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe. She also mentioned the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos, the telephone museum in Albuquerque, and the Roswell UFO Museum as interesting destinations.

We previously reported:

Artist Linda Lay transformed her childhood mobile home in Marina, California, into a vibrant art studio, reflecting on personal history and community.

Artist Rah Naqvi, working from his Amsterdam studio for nearly four years, creates art with soil and integrates external inspirations into his daily practice.

Source: Hyperallergic

MENAFN28082026005694012507ID1111592922