New Zealand artist Angela Heisch (b. 1989) is having nothing less than a major year. Known for her seductive paintings of enigmatic and biomorphic forms, Heisch recently opened her solo exhibition in London “Highs at low speedat the Pippy Houldsworth Gallery last week, his second solo in the British capital. Now she’s back immersed in her Brooklyn studio as she prepares for a solo show with New York’s Grimm Gallery in September. Last March, Heisch reached a new auction record during a Phillips sale Londonwhen his work Egg white Blue (2019-2020) sold for $90,974 (including fees), almost 154% more than the pre-sale estimate.
The art market star, who earned an MFA from the University of Albany in 2014, has previously had solo shows in Amsterdam, New York and Montreal. Her enigmatic paintings and drawings are rooted in abstraction, but they often take on architectural and biomorphic forms, which she meticulously structures. Heisch applies pigment for a luminous, eye-catching effect. Her latest exhibition in London, which runs until April 29, features a new set of paintings and pastel-on-paper works, some of which are the largest scales she has worked on. Abstract forms and compositions are derived from landscapes.
His studio is located in a four-story building in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood and is home to many other artists’ studios. Recently, the artist hosted Artnet News on a tour of his studio and discussed his creative process.
Angela Heisch’s studio. Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London. Photo:
Matthew Herrmann © Angela Heisch
What’s the first thing you do when you walk into your studio (after turning on the lights)?
The first thing I do is fill my jug with water and get changed. I start painting as soon as I’m in the studio, unless it’s a drawing day, in which case I’ll start working in pastel.
What made you choose this studio over others?
The bathrooms have toilet paper, there’s heat, good lighting, and no leaks in the ceilings – all things that aren’t guaranteed in apartment buildings, so I feel lucky in that department. I also like that this studio doesn’t get a lot of direct sunlight, which can get in the way of painting.
What are you working on at the moment? Please send us a few photos taken with your smartphone of a job in progress – or photos of different jobs in various stages of completion – in a way that you think will give insight into your process.
I just finished my “Low Speed Highs” show for Pippy Houldsworth, and I’m finishing the first parts of my solo show in New York with Grimm in September. I have about four paintings in progress at a time, that way I can rotate each of them while I wait for the paint to dry, so the first four paintings for the September show are now in various stages of completion.
The shot from Angela Heisch’s studio. Courtesy of the artist.
How do you know when a work you are working on clicks? How do you know that a work you are working on is a failure?
The larger paintings are pre-planned in pastel drawings, so I know generically how they will turn out. In the past, I rushed to start a painting based on a pastel drawing, only to realize that the composition really didn’t work beyond its pastel form. I like the paints to deviate a bit from the pastels, but usually when I play too much with the composition on the canvas, I know the paint probably won’t be successful and I’ll scrap it. I’m not sure if a painting clicks until the very end, and then honestly, I’m so tired of watching it, I can’t even tell. With some time spent outdoors, it becomes clear which ones worked better than others.
What tool or art supply do you most enjoy working with, and why? Please send us a picture of it.
I really like working with the cold wax medium. I use it in the final coats of paint and enjoy the satin matte finish it gives to paintings. It’s also a great way to create seamless layers and textures, as it sets relatively quickly.
Studio photograph by Angela Heisch of a work in progress created for the London exhibition at Pippy Houldsworth. Courtesy of the artist.
How does your studio environment influence the way you work?
I used to have a studio in the basement of our apartment and the space had lots of exposed brickwork and archways. Looking back, the work I was doing at the time had a similar architecture. My current space has much higher ceilings and feels airy and I think this has made the work lighter and more dynamic. The larger space I am in now has led me to enlarge the paintings as well.
I’ve always enjoyed working during the day and have found that no matter where my studio is, I stick to regular hours – I like to finish the day no later than 7 p.m. , and since the studio is so lonely, I like to be there when other people are in the building.
When you feel stuck while preparing for a show, what do you do to get out of it?
When I get stuck, it’s usually because I’m way ahead of myself. Sometimes new ideas don’t feel so connected to the work I’m doing, and when those ideas don’t come to fruition, it’s easy to feel completely lost, especially when working with abstraction. When this happens, I remind myself to take a step back and think more about where the work at hand can go. There is a natural evolution that happens, and trusting that is an important practice for me. When the work starts to feel a little too self-referential and I feel like I’m recycling old ideas too often, I try to go to exhibitions and take a break from my own work – luckily there’s lots of other work to see in New York to get me out of creative ruts.
Photo studio of Angela Heisch Rolling hills. Courtesy of the artist.
What is the most chic object in your studio? The most modest?
Probably paint, my air purifier and a Nespresso machine, and basically everything else is stuff I found for very cheap or in the trash.
How many hours do you typically spend in the studio, what time of day do you feel most productive, and what activities take up the majority of that time?
I spend 8-10 hours a day in the studio and try to take weekends off to relax. I feel most productive late in the morning, just before lunch, but that changes day by day. I don’t really do anything in the studio apart from painting and drawing. Emails, etc. are usually done at home. I have books in the studio that I look at for inspiration, but I take them home to browse and reflect on. Painting time in the studio is very valuable, so I like to make the most of it.
What’s the last thing you do before leaving the studio at the end of the day (other than turning off the lights)?
I clean my palette a bit and wash the brushes and the dishes. I might clean up a bit especially if there’s a lot of pastel dust on the floor.
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