A newly renovated office at the 1870’s church in Palmer, MA is leading to improved efficiency and artistic workflow
During a recent interview with Bruce Rosenbaum, Steampunk Guru and purveyor of ModVic, LLC, the artist discussed his vision for the perfect studio design – and how the creation of such a space has lead him down the path to some new personal Steampunk sculpture projects embodying the themes he wishes to present and promote through his work.
“When we first moved into the church space, the idea was to develop a multi ‘repurposed’ workshop,” said Rosenbaum. “I needed a place where I could easily bring my design and marketing brain together with my art and engineering brain.”
His technique of assembling and repurposing seemingly unrelated items and to fuse period objects with art and modern technology and materials can create challenges for staying organized and productive.
Concepts that start as sketches and illustrations move into the digital realm for modeling as well as promoting and communicating a project with the outside world (and clients).
Next is a period of “experimentation”, seeing which parts will fit together, how will they be fastened, what types of hardware will be needed.
“In order to have the right flow to the artwork, I essentially needed a space that was part inspirational, part modern day office, and part ‘magician’s’ workshop,” Rosenbaum explains. “The most significant difference so far is having the proper amount of space to accommodate the whole art and science process.”
To date, the church property in Palmer, MA has proven to have all the right time and space qualities.
The lower level of the church accommodates the new office/workshop, as well as room for cataloging and displaying inventory, with enough leftover space for the Rosenbaum’s personal living quarters.
The first-floor cathedral has ample room for large sculpture displays and workshop presentations.
“In this scenario, I am able to immerse myself in the artwork and live my dreams,” reflected Rosenbaum. “In just this short time, I’ve seen the workflow process speed up, from original conception to completion – beyond what was possible in the past. It motivates me as an artist to always be pushing to new heights – trying to achieve life’s impossible lift.”
WATCH new drone footage inside the cathedral gallery.
Click here to visit the ModVic website.
A wall of doors was constructed to separate the office/workshop from rest of the lower level space. Inventory is cataloged in the outer room allowing for easy access to project materials.