(excerpt from an interview of artist Sydney Licht by Neil Plotkin, published at Painting Perceptions)
NP: Recently you completed a residency at Yaddo. Can you talk about the experience that you had there and how the work emerged from it?
SL: Even before I got to Yaddo, I knew I wanted to create a visual diary of the experience.
When I arrived, the first thing that the staff presented me with was a white paper bag with my name on it. It was my lunch to take to the studio. Receiving this white bag with my name on it was a very welcoming thing, like a gift.
I took the bag with my lunch in it to my studio which was completely empty and white and beautiful. A gorgeous space with nothing in it. When I took the sandwich out of the bag, it was the only visual thing in the whole room, and so I decided to paint it. I had such a good time painting it.
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
On the second day and for the the rest of my three week stay, every morning I would pick up my lunch pail at breakfast and go to the studio. My visual diary became this ritual of painting my lunch before eating it. I would spend the morning getting warmed up by doing a watercolor of what I was given for lunch. I’d eat the lunch. Then in the afternoons, I worked on still life paintings in oil.
It was a wonderful experience. During working hours at Yaddo, everyone is expected to remain quiet in public areas so as not to disturb the other residents. All residents meet for dinner and then you can either go back to work or socialize. I found it to be very productive.
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
NP: From my perspective, you’re a very established artist. You know what you’re doing. You’ve been doing it for a long time. You know how you’re going to approach things. How do you feel this residency helped move you forward? How did you benefit from it?
SL: Even though I’ve been painting for a long time, there are continual interruptions in my daily life not having to do with painting. Fighting to minimize those interruptions is a constant battle for me. When I go to a residency like Yaddo, I don’t have to think about what I’m going to make for dinner and all the other practical aspects of living my life. I’m on a mental holiday which makes room for true and consistent focus. Finding moments of focus is rare in my daily life, and easier to achieve at a residency. Also, I met some great people at Yaddo. Besides visual artists, some terrific writers, composers and performance artists were in residence while I was there.
[A group of images from this series]
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
Yaddo Lunches – 6 in x 6 in – watercolor
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