Studio Secrets with Gretchen Andrew

What does a typical day in the studio look like for you?

From 5am to 2pm I might as well be in the military for how structured and disciplined my time is. While I get up at 5am,  I avoid turning my phone on or checking email for as long as possible, usually I get in 5 hours without those.  I start every morning with 6-8 cups of coffee and visioning exercises that keep me focused on my goals. My studio time is accompanied by audio books so that when I am making work that isn't “there” yet I can always think, “well, at least I was reading.”  After 2pm it’s sort of a free-from-all. Sometimes I drink a bottle of champagne and play Taylor Swift on the piano, sometimes I go for a 10 mile run. Occasionally both.

What are you working on at the moment?

deGenerative art, which I defined a few years ago as art that is dismantled with the use of automatic nonhuman systems that independently determine features of the artwork. The works are battles between me and robotic generative art systems that take place on canvas with beautiful messes as the robots attempt to erase, to degenerate, my drawings.  Like a lot of my work they use and comment on our relationship to technology but the works aesthetically belong in the history of Giacometti and Auerbach.  

Do you have any rituals connected to your practice?

I have more best practices than rituals, a set of repeatable actions that scale how my studio and I manage everything from communication to accounting.  But I think this is very important. It leaves more time to be playful and creative while also keeping in mind all the people that make it possible.

What can’t you live without in your studio?

Champagne, my teddy bear, a piano. And somehow over many residencies I end up with it all appearing in various places around the world for me.  

How has tech most shaped your practice?

My practice revolves around hacking systems of power with art, code and glitter.  The art world is perceived as being notoriously difficult to break into but that hasn’t been my experience.  My experience has been that technology is a creative medium that can be used to mold the world.  In a lot of ways, power is my real medium. It is what undergoes the biggest transformation as a result of my work.  

How do you think Arcual could help shape the future of the art ecosystem?

I am hopeful it can take a lot of the drama out of basic transitions and agreements.  As an artist you are often balancing many different conversations with a gallery and I can find myself not wanting to push for a consignment agreement renewal at the same time I am requesting a studio visit. Some things should be more automatic and require less communication  and relationship capital to get done.

Which Arcual feature do you think could be most beneficial to your practice?

I’ve had issues with non payment or very delayed payment from both galleries and institutions which is difficult as I will always pay my team on time.  Automatic payments would make the unpredictable nature of being an artist just that much more stable.  

Which artists working today most inspire you?

My mentors Billy Childish and Penny Slinger. My peer Jake Ewels.

Do you have a favourite art fair?

I think variety is important here. I love Art Basel, of course, and have also found a lot of fun at funky and smaller fairs like Vienna Contemporary and (Un)Fair Milan which hosted a yoga class inspired by my Affirmation Ads artworks.  

What would you be if you weren't an artist?

My definition of an artist is someone who gets rewarded and celebrated for being themselves.  I could be doing what I do in a different industry, but that is something I think should be more common outside the art world as well.  

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You can connect with Gretchen during Zurich Art Weekend. Arcual will host a panel discussion at LUMA Westbau with key speakers from the worlds of art and tech, including auctioneer Simon de Pury, advisor Nina Roehrs, and artist Gretchen Andrew, which will be moderated by Arcual CEO Bernadine Bröcker Wieder. How Technology is impacting Power Dynamics in the Art World, will take place on Friday 9th June, 4pm CEST. RSVP here.

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