Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jaqueline Cedar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jaqueline, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
Best investment post grad school was carving out physical space for making. I remember meeting with an old undergrad professor after finishing my graduate degree and sharing that I was nervous about investing in an additional monthly rent for studio space. New York was already so expensive and I had only just started to make enough money to stay afloat. He said, “get the studio and let the guilt drive you to make the work.” It was such perfect advice. Making the financial investment required to keep a studio space pushed me to prioritize time in the studio and be there as often as possible. I fought for time to make work and was precious about keeping studio time focused. He also used to encourage students to set up a structure/routine that would eliminate downtime in the studio. Things like working on multiple paintings at a time have kept me productive in times when I felt stuck or unmotivated. So many wise words – I’m forever grateful for these more practical tips around being a working artist.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m an artist based in Brooklyn NY and I make paintings and drawings primarily. Recent paintings have emerged from a mix of dreams and daily observations. I walk often, gathering visual information, taking note of the way people move, interact with each other, and the way plants and sky can encourage pause. I’ve been thinking about the idea of waiting for something still to move, watching something in passing, and anticipating the kind of magical occurrences that can shift perspective. Quite a few of the paintings in my current solo exhibition at Shelter Gallery create situations that build potential for action. Others depict moments where figures are trying to hold on to something that is fleeting – to catch something or run after a feeling/object/person. I think of these recent works as romantic – the exhibition is titled Tryst. There’s an attempt in each work to connect with a bigger idea – there is longing and mourning and sweetness and sadness in these attempts. Some of the images are personal and mundane – my hand holding a grapefruit in the morning, a view out the window that holds my attention while trying to avoid listening in on a conversation in an adjacent room. Some images are aspirational as figures pictured present a desire to be in a constant state of running in order to hold steady.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the surprising lessons that came out of 6 consecutive years of schooling ( between undergraduate and graduate programs) was the realization that self-reliance would be the key to life after school. It’s so easy to get comfortable using everyone else’s opinion/advice as a crutch for making decisions and identifying your own voice. Making art is such a subjective/fickle process and there are so many different ways each work can be read/processed/critiqued. I took great solace and found freedom in the ultimate realization that only I could make significant decisions in the overall trajectory of my work. Every teacher, critic, voice in the room was influential in my path toward honing what I felt was the best way to move forward. However, sometimes hearing advice I disagreed with was even more instructive than the opposite. In my opinion, artists should only be making work they are excited about and identifying what inspires you is liberating and motivating.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
YES:
Jackie Battenfield (The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love)
Jackie was such a wonderful mentor and she really breaks down the nuts and bolts of what it means to live/work as an artist.
Art/Work – Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career
Heather Darcy Bhandari is another inspiring writer and thinker with loads of experience who explicates some of the many unspoken structures of the art world with grace and clarity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jaquelinecedar.com
- Instagram: @jaquelinecedar